I strongly oppose this new…

I strongly oppose this new legislation, which not only dismantles essential protections for endangered wildlife and ecosystems, but also disregards the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous communities. This bill represents a profound failure of responsible governance. It ignores the urgent environmental challenges we face, undermines science-based conservation efforts, and violates the principles of meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples as required by both Canadian law and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Our natural heritage and the rights of Indigenous Peoples are not obstacles to development—they are foundational to a just and sustainable future. Any legislation that affects land, water, and biodiversity must be developed transparently and collaboratively, with full participation from Indigenous nations and impacted communities. This bill does the exact opposite.

Furthermore, the interests of private business should never take precedence over the protection of endangered species and their habitats. Moving to a registration first model will inevitably lead to developers improperly interpreting or purposefully ignoring regulations as their registrations will not be independently reviewed before irreversible damage has already been done to endangered animals and their habitats. This bill will inevitably lead to the destruction of environments that cannot be reestablished as issues will only be able to be flagged after the destruction has already taken place.

I urge this government to withdraw this legislation and engage in genuine consultation with Indigenous leaders, scientists, environmental experts, and the public. Protecting endangered species is not optional—it is our moral and legal obligation.