Anti-Bill 66 presentation today at National Assembly

10/22/2020

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the community that Ratsénhaienhs Ross Montour will be making a presentation outlining the MCK’s opposition to Bill 66 at the National Assembly in Quebec City this afternoon.

The hearings are being held before the Quebec Public Finance Committee that is reviewing Bill 66.
                                                                             
The MCK has made no secret of its displeasure of the Legault government’s proposed plan. The Bill was introduced to stimulate the economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic by fast tracking infrastructure development through shortening approval processes and making it far easier to expropriate land to make way for development. Despite the far-reaching impacts that the legislation would carry, no full parliamentary hearings were held.

“We actually support an economic recovery plan, but not at the expense of Indigenous rights and territories,” said Ratsénhaienhs Montour. “Indigenous viewpoints have been all but ignored during the creation of this legislation. Today, we will have our say.”

The MCK’s concerns include the following:

• It shortens timelines to conduct meaningful consultations with Indigenous peoples impacted by projects and increases government and third-party authority over Indigenous lands and resources via potential expropriation
• It replaces current environmental protection requirements with processes designed to speed up review and approval, which puts environmental protection at risk and is incompatible with Indigenous rights and worldviews
• It includes projects that directly affect the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke’s rights, interests and lands – including the Mercier Bridge reconstruction project

“We are demanding the explicit protection of Indigenous rights and territories be included in the bill, and to ensure that meaningful consultation and accommodation will take place under the new legislation,” Ratsénhaienhs Montour added. “Importantly, we are demanding that the Mercier Bridge reconstruction project be removed completely from the legislation. It has no business there.”

Ratsénhaienhs Montour will be accompanied by Francis Walsh of MCK Legal Services.

A copy of the presentation will be made available at a later date.