The New Impact Assessment Regime: Cooperation Agreements, the Return of Provincial Power & Discretionary Indigenous Rights
Following Canada’s push for accelerated resource development, new “Cooperation Agreements” between the federal and provincial governance promise faster approvals for industry. In this Brief, Hayden King examines these agreements and finds that there are trade-offs for efficiency and coordination. This approach hands more authority to provincial governments, many already facing criticism for weak environmental oversight and inadequate consultation with Indigenous communities, and raises concerns about how Indigenous rights will be respected when the federal government abdicates its responsibilites.