FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Quote Sheet:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
“The opening of the Major Federal Projects Office under the guise of national interest is nothing short of the government deliberately sidestepping its duty to consult and cooperate with First Nations. The messaging from the Prime Minister has felt less like an invitation to partnership and more like an ultimatum: get on board or get out of the way. First Nations aren’t opposed to responsible development – we’re opposed to having our inherent and constitutional rights ignored. We continue to demand that the Federal government honour its reconciliation and environmental promises and withdraw these major project bills so that proper, principled solutions can be built together.”

Chief Na’Moks, Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief
“We oppose the absolute destruction of this planet. When a supposedly democratic country like Canada sets up an office of cherry-picked individuals whose purpose is to generate profits, not protections, it is not only immoral, it fails to uphold Canada’s constitutional duty to consult, and other constitutional protections owed to Indigenous peoples. All Canadians, and all Indigenous Nations, must stand together to oppose this office and refuse to support it.”

Gwii Lok’im Gibuu (Jesse Stoeppler), Deputy Chief of the Hagwilget Village Council
“Canada cannot pick and choose when to respect its own Constitution. By rushing projects through a fast-track office built for industry, the government is eroding its duty to consult, weakening environmental protections, and silencing the very communities who will bear the consequences. That’s not reconciliation, it’s exploitation.”

Janelle Lapointe, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Strategic Approach, David Suzuki Foundation
“When governments call propping up extractive corporations “economic reconciliation,” they truly mean shifting risk onto Indigenous Nations while raking in profit for industry. True reconciliation is about investing in land restitution, community power, and a just transition. Resourcing this new office is investing in the economy of yesterday instead of investing in a future that would prioritize Indigenous rights, a safe climate future and well-being for everyday Canadians.”

Eve Saint, Financial Divestment Campaigner, Gidimt’en Checkpoint & Co-Founder, Lead Coordinator, 8th Fire Rising
“By overstepping Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, these projects leave us in the dark, in the dust, and in the gutter. Our Nations will not stand for this. Time and again, these companies cause total destruction to our lands and waters, with no cleanup and no accountability. This isn’t just an Indigenous issue—it’s an issue for all of us. We’re standing up for our lands, yes, but we’re also standing up for every Canadian who depends on clean water, healthy ecosystems, and a livable future.” 

Liz McDowell, Stand.earth Senior Campaigns Director
“Nation-building means future-building, and this approach is not it. Harper tried a Major Projects Office in 2007 and it failed spectacularly; why is Carney championing a redux of a bad conservative government strategy from decades ago? We need projects that move us towards a clean energy future – but they must protect ecosystems, generate lasting affordability, and build community resilience, or they have no place in Canada. Shirking our legal obligations to Indigenous rights and hiding from public accountability is not only the wrong approach, it’s bound to backfire.” 

Emilia Belliveau, Energy Transition Program Manager, Environmental Defence Canada
“As the federal government launches its Major Projects Office to advance “nation-building” projects, they must make clear that only projects with Free, Prior and Informed Consent from Indigenous Peoples will move forward. In the midst of Canada’s second worst wildfire season, we can’t afford for this office to fast-track fossil fuels and other destructive projects. Instead, Prime Minister Carney and his government should prioritize projects like high-speed rail, renewable energy and enabling grid enhancements that drive economic resilience, public benefits and long-term prosperity for people in Canada.”

Dr. Melissa Lem, family physician and President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
“Projects of national interest must take into account human health impacts, not just short-term economic benefits. First Nations and rural communities bear a disproportionate burden from fracking and LNG infrastructure, with research linking these operations to increased rates of respiratory disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and other serious health conditions. LNG development threatens not only health but also sovereignty and Indigenous ways of life, as many First Nations across BC are being forced to defend their territories from this harmful industry. Before fast-tracking any more LNG projects, the federal government needs to invest in research and enact stronger regulations to safeguard communities from the health impacts of fracking and LNG, and show the industry is safe, because current evidence suggests it is not. Instead of racing to support major polluters, the government should be protecting Canadians from the mounting healthcare costs and climate impacts that are part of fossil fuel expansion.”

Jens Wieting, Senior Policy and Science Advisor, Sierra Club BC
“Burning fossil fuels has brought the world close to threatening tipping points for a livable climate. Now, solar panels, wind turbines and batteries have brought the world close to positive tipping points in our energy systems, and within reach of slowing down global warming. Canada still has a choice to stand on the right side of history, but fast-tracking new oil and gas projects threatens our climate goals, the rights of Indigenous peoples, clean water and clean air.”

Beatrice Frank, Executive Director, Georgia Strait Alliance
“By fast-tracking approvals through Bill C-5 and the Major Federal Projects Office, the government is trading Indigenous rights, environmental safeguards, and democratic accountability for industry convenience—a step backward on reconciliation and climate action, and a dangerous erosion of public trust. Meanwhile, critically important conservation processes—essential for Canadian health and well-being—remain slow and sidelined, receiving far less urgency than industry projects.” 

Kate Turner, National Coordinator, Decolonial Solidarity Network
“All across Canada, working people, young people, and seniors are deeply concerned about the risks of fast-tracked megaprojects on community and ecosystem health. We need future-proof sustainable development led by Indigenous rights and title-holders and local municipalities – by communities, for communities. Allowing the fossil fuel and critical minerals industries to bypass legislation that is designed to protect us is a hard right turn into dangerous territory.”

Andrew Dumbrille, co-director, Equal Routes
“Nation building doesn’t happen through fossil fuel expansion, nor continuing to rely on inaccurate facts about its social and environmental harm. A recent fact checking report on industry and government claims about Canada’s LNG life cycle emissions is a case in point. Unaccounted methane leaks, especially during LNG tanker transport, and under-reporting of real world life cycle emissions shows the false solutions which can underpin fossil infrastructure investment. From land to sea, LNG is not a solution for Canada and should be no part of ongoing or future support.”

Amara Possian, Canada Team Lead, 350.org
“Mark Carney is playing a shell game with all of us. He says the new Major Projects Office will fast-track clean energy, but he has put the chair of his predecessor’s multibillion-dollar pipeline boondoggle in charge. He promises projects that will help Canada meet its climate commitments, yet the process he’s designed scraps environmental assessments and sidesteps Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. If he truly wants this office to deliver for people, he needs to stop placating fossil fuel CEOs and start prioritizing what we actually need: affordable homes, clean water, clean air, and good jobs.”

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