ISTANBUL

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Inuit leaders Thursday in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to discuss the federal government's plan to fast-track major infrastructure projects under the controversial Building Canada Act.

The meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee was co-chaired by Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, representing the Inuit people who inhabit 40% of Canada's land mass.

Carney emphasized that Bill C-5, known as the Building Canada Act, "fully respects treaty rights, including modern treaties with Inuit treaty organizations" and environmental assessment processes.

"What the Act does is it creates conditions for the federal government to be more effective and efficient in our part of the partnership," Carney said, noting that project identification comes through "consultation, cooperation, engagement."

He highlighted emerging security threats, saying there are new physical, virtual and tangible threats for Canada. "We take those threats seriously. We take our responsibility to defend all Canadians seriously," he said.

Carney announced plans for year-round Arctic presence and a CAN$6 billion ($4.4 billion) investment in over-the-horizon radar systems.

Obed outlined extensive priorities for the partnership, stating: "We know that there are things that are top of mind in the world and here in Canada that we must discuss, whether it be sovereignty, defense and security, building Canada, creating one economy."

He noted 14 priority areas within the partnership structure, including "the child first initiative, the ongoing housing crisis and the necessary actions to resolve it, the work that still needs to be done on education and on language and infrastructure."

The legislation, passed into law June 26, allows the federal Cabinet to approve large projects like pipelines, railways and transmission lines as being in the national interest even before environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation are complete.

Amnesty International has expressed concern about the bill, saying it "encourages the fast-tracking of infrastructure projects without safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' right to free, prior and informed consent over development proposals that affect their territories."