TORONTO — Ontario’s Indigenous affairs minister says he has no plans to hand over his cabinet portfolios.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Greg Rickford said in an interview with Dougall Media after a community event the Kenora-Rainy River MPP held in Ignace on Thursday.
Aside from the Indigenous affairs position, Rickford is also Ontario’s Minister of First Nations Economic Reconciliation the one responsible for Ring of Fire economic and community partnerships.
“I love working with First Nations leadership, I love helping to build bridges between First Nations communities and municipalities,” Rickford continued.
“I think what you've seen is First Nations leadership come out and be very supportive of the work our government's doing and very supportive of the work that I'm doing.”
Rickford’s comments come in the wake of the Ford government passing Bill 5 (formally the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act) — a sweeping law that makes wide-ranging changes to how projects that are deemed to be in the province’s economic interest are managed, including what steps need to be taken for approvals.
The government has argued it streamlines and makes more efficient the process to get resource extraction projects up and running, while still maintaining necessary environmental protections and consultation frameworks with First Nations.
Alternatively, many Indigenous leaders have slammed the legislation as steamrolling First Nations’ treaty and constitutional rights and have vowed to vigorously oppose it.
That includes Neskantaga and Attawapiskat starting work to set up camp aimed at blocking future road construction into the Ring of Fire area and a highway-side protest by Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (also known as Pic Mobert First Nation).
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler has been one of several voices calling for Rickford to resign from cabinet — Bearskin Lake First Nation, the opposition NDP and the Ontario Federation of Labour have been others.
“We understand our responsibility to go out now and make consultations now that the legislation is passed,” Rickford said, addressing the Netmizaaggamig protest specifically. “We believe, and increasingly as we meet with communities whether they're First Nations or not, there's more positive curiosity about some of the aspects of Bill 5 and what it can do for their community and their region.”
“I want to stay positive,” he said, adding that he’s had “great dealings” with Netmizaaggamig Chief Louis Kwissiwa.
For his part, Kwissiwa told Newswatch on Friday that he’s not among the Indigenous leaders who are actively calling for Rickford’s resignation.
“Not at this point, but that remains to be seen.”
Rickford said the next several months will be dedicated to listening to First Nations’ concerns.
“I mean those consultations and that engagement — political engagement — will begin in this region over the course of the summer,” he said. “Bill 5 is a law, it is not the (only) law, and to the extent that there's been any implementation so far, and so this is our window for engagement and consultation.”
He acknowledged the “vocal opposition” to Bill 5, but said he remains committed to speaking with First Nations’ leadership “to talk about the opportunity.”
“In most, if not all, of my meetings, the dialogue has been very respectful so far and focused way more on opportunities than issues.”
Rickford said he believes he still has a lot of support in his ministerial roles.
“I’m going to keep doing it.”
-With files from Nicky Shaw.
