EventStatement
Chiefs of Ontario, AFNQL, BC Assembly of First Nations and Nishnawbe Aski Nation jointly reject Bill C-39 and call for its withdrawal as it clears second reading
On 8 October 2026, the day Bill C-39 passed second reading 296-26 (The Canadian Press), four regional First Nations organizations, the Chiefs of Ontario, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, the BC Assembly of First Nations and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, said in a joint statement that they reject the bill and called on Canada to withdraw it. They said Prime Minister Carney is "weaponizing the parliamentary process and his majority to force the bill through Parliament, override the inherent, Treaty, and constitutionally protected rights of First Nations", objected to the bill being studied at the same time by a House legislative committee and a Senate special committee with Royal Assent targeted for December, and warned that attempts to bypass First Nations rights "will create greater uncertainty, conflict, and litigation" (Chiefs of Ontario release). No court filing against C-39 itself.
- Date
- Kind
- Statement
- Where
- Canada
- Evidence
- Statement: Something was said. Weighted lowest: words cost less than actions. How evidence is weighed
Sources
- Chiefs of Ontario, “First Nations Leaders Reject Bill C-39 and the Rush to Force it Through: Rights Cannot Be Fast-Tracked” (external site), . source record
- APTN National News, “First Nations reject proposed Bill C-39 following its first vote” (external site), . excerpt only source record
- CP24 (The Canadian Press), “Major government economic legislation C-39 clears first vote, heads to committee” (external site), . source record
Laws and agreements
How it bears on the outcome
| Explanation | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| O0 No meaningful speed-up | Fits weak | Organized First Nations opposition to the fast-track bill, with legal avenues threatened, is consistent with a build-out slowed by challenges; it is a statement known second-hand, with no court filing yet. |
| O1 Faster, but the extra output goes mostly elsewhere | Neutral weak | Opposition to a permitting bill is expected under any faster build-out and says nothing about where output goes. |
| O2 Faster, and more volume reaches the US (this level or higher) | Neutral weak | Opposition to a permitting bill is expected under any faster build-out and says nothing about volume reaching the US. |
| O3 Locked-in preferential terms for the US | Neutral weak | No US preferential terms are involved; the dispute is about domestic rights and process. |