The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (APNQL) gives Hydro-Québec a B+, by far the best grade in the report card it unveiled Thursday to the National Assembly.
At a press briefing, Chief Ghislain Picard denounced the attitude of François Legault’s government, saying he regretted that Indigenous people were perceived “by the government as obstacles.” “We are even criticized for asserting our rights because it is disturbing. […] We always have the impression that we inherit the odiousness of compromise,” he lamented.
Saying he was inspired by the media which produce bulletins at the end of the parliamentary session, he provided the AFNQL’s assessment of government action. “The current performance of the government is not sufficient to obtain the passing grade and remedial measures will have to be taken before the next parliamentary session. We could say that the student must repeat his year,” added the chef, who gave grades ranging from C to F in Quebec.
“Everything is not dark,” he clarified. “We recognize it: in certain areas, the government is doing better, such as in economic development. In terms of energy development, it is also interesting. If we add Hydro-Québec to the equation, if we had given a grade to the state-owned company, it would be B+: the highest grade in the report card,” he declared.
Hydro-Québec has embarked on the path of “economic reconciliation” with Indigenous people. The state corporation thus apologized on May 6 to the Innus of Unamen Shipu, whom it never consulted before building a hydroelectric power station on their territory in 1995. The big boss of Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia also signed a framework agreement worth $45 million over six years with Pessamit, with a view to creating “an equal partnership” on the Innu territory, where the possibility of a 1,000 megawatt wind project looms.
“Our relations with Hydro-Québec are good. There is great openness on the part of the CEO to include First Nations in governance, to work with us. But it is too early to comment on the results. We are still in the honeymoon. And it is Mr. Fitzgibbon who still decides, to a large extent, the directions of Hydro-Québec,” underlined Mr. Picard in a statement in English.
At the dawn of the tabling of the reform desired by the Minister of the Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, the AFNQL also said it expected that the governance of Hydro-Québec would no longer be “the sole business of the Government of Quebec”, and that “the First Nations also find their place there”.
Reproaches and failures
The AFNQL bulletin also criticizes the Legault government for having challenged Bill C-92 all the way to the Supreme Court. This federal law recognizes the “inherent right to self-government” of Indigenous peoples in family matters. It therefore allows communities to set up and manage their child protection services themselves.
On the other hand, he highlights the openness of the Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant. He renounced the creation of a position of associate commissioner for the rights of indigenous children. Instead, it stated in its Child Welfare and Rights Commissioner Act that “First Nations and Inuit are best placed to meet the needs of their children in the most appropriate manner.”
Generally speaking, Chief Picard said he would like more transparency from the Legault government. “Our right to self-determination bothers François Legault, who constantly brandishes the scarecrow of the right of veto,” he said. The Prime Minister notably associates the recognition of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with the granting of a veto right to Indigenous people.
“We always have the impression of having to face a government that has a very, very colonialist attitude,” said the leader of the AFNQL. He proposed the establishment of a permanent parliamentary forum, a consultative entity which had previously been proposed by René Lévesque. The goal ? “Find concrete means of cohabitation that benefits everyone,” he summarized.