December 8, 2022
OTTAWA — The provincial government’s lack of consultation with First Nations over Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, was raised by Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe and other leaders during a Dec. 7 press conference in Ottawa. Bill 23 passed Third Reading and received Royal Assent on Nov. 28.
“The purpose of today’s gathering is to bring awareness to the provincial government’s failure to engage with First Nations prior to the passing of Bill 23, which is another missed opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and avoid challenges of conflict like we are possibly having now,” Grand Council Chief Niganobe says. “Bill 23 is an omnibus bill that proposed sweeping changes to the province’s natural heritage and land-use planning, and this is all under the guise of being a solution to the housing crisis in Ontario. This bill is an enormous threat to First Nation jurisdiction as well as inherent and treaty rights.”
Niganobe says Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare received letters from Steve Clark, minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry on Oct. 25 about the launch of Bill 23, which was carried during the First Reading on that same day.
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