Trudeau Says Ottawa ‘Will Not Be Touching’ Natural Resources Agreement With Provinces

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a town hall meeting at the Manitoba Building Trades Institute in Winnipeg, April 12, 2023. The Canadian Press/John Woods

Several days after Justice Minister David Lametti appeared to bring the matter into question, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government “will not be touching” the western provinces’ jurisdiction over their natural resources.

“As prime minister, I’m happy to stand here right now and say we will not be touching the NRTA [Natural Resources Transfer Agreement],” Trudeau told reporters in Regina, Saskatchewan, on April 13.

“Natural resources are constitutionally directed to be the purview of the provinces,” he said. “We’re not putting that into question.”

Trudeau’s comments come just over a week after Lametti told the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs that he would “commit to looking at” the NRTA. The agreement has been in place between the federal government and Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia since 1930, and guarantees that the provinces hold control over the management of their own natural resources.

Lametti made the comments on April 5 in Ottawa after one indigenous chief at the Assembly meeting called for the act to be rescinded and another said resources were given to the provinces without consulting with indigenous communities.

“Canada exports natural resources to other countries. They earn trillions of dollars in revenues from those resources. Those resources were given to the provinces, without ever asking one Indian if it was OK to do that, or what benefits the First Nations expect to receive by Canada consenting to that arrangement,” Chief Don Maracle of Mohawks of Bay of Quinte said in a remark to Lametti at the meeting.

In his response, Lametti acknowledged that revisiting the agreement could cause tension between Ottawa and the provinces.

“I take from Chief Brian and Chief Don Maracle the point about the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement,” Lametti said. “You’re on the record for that. I obviously can’t pronounce on that right now, but I do commit to looking at that.”

“It won’t be uncontroversial, is the only thing I would say,” he added.

Days later, the premiers of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta issued a joint statement demanding that Trudeau confirm Lametti’s comments didn’t represent the Liberal government’s official stance on the matter.

“The federal government cannot unilaterally change the Constitution,” said the statement signed on April 10 by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.

The statement also asked for Trudeau to retract Lametti’s “dangerous and divisive comments” on the matter.

Government Response

Lametti responded in a statement issued the same day, saying that listening to concerns raised by First Nations chiefs is “part of my job.”

“To be clear, at no point did I commit our government to reviewing areas of provincial jurisdiction, including that over natural resources,” Lametti added.

Trudeau made similar remarks to reporters on April 12 and accused the prairie premiers of fear-mongering on the subject.

“Let me be very clear: the Minister of Justice said no such thing if you actually look at his remarks,” Trudeau said in relation to Lametti’s comments about the NRTA.

Trudeau added that the Prairie premiers are “trying to elevate fears that have absolutely no grounding in truth.”

While the prime minister said Ottawa isn’t looking at amending the NRTA, he did tell reporters on April 13 that the provinces should be “having real conversations about reconciliation” with indigenous communities.

“That’s what the justice minister and my government have committed to doing

Marnie Cathcart contributed to this report.