SHORT TITLE

Marginal note:Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Maanulth First Nations Final Agreement Act.

INTERPRETATION

Marginal note:Definitions

• 2. (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.

  “Agreement”

  « accord »

  “Agreement” means the Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement, between the Maanulth First Nations, Her Majesty in right of Canada and Her Majesty in right of British Columbia, including any amendments made to it.

  “Tax Treatment Agreement”

  « accord sur le traitement fiscal »

  “Tax Treatment Agreement” means the tax treatment agreement referred to in paragraph 19.6.1 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it.

• Marginal note:Definitions in Agreement

  (2) In this Act, “Maanulthaht”, “Maanulth Citizen”, “Maanulth Corporation”, “Maanulth First Nation”, “Maanulth Government”, “Maanulth Lands”, “Maanulth Law”, “Maanulth Public Institution” and “Other Maanulth Lands” have the same meanings as “Maa-nulth-aht”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Citizen”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Corporation”, “Maa-nulth First Nation”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Government”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Lands”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Law”, “Maa-nulth First Nation Public Institution” and “Other Maa-nulth First Nation Lands”, respectively, in paragraph 29.1.1 of the Agreement.

Marginal note:Status of Agreement

3. The Agreement is a treaty and a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

AGREEMENT

Marginal note:Agreement given effect

• 4. (1) The Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law.

• Marginal note:Rights and obligations

  (2) For greater certainty, any person or body has the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on the person or body by the Agreement and shall perform the duties, and is subject to the liabilities, imposed on the person or body by the Agreement.

• Marginal note:Third parties

  (3) For greater certainty, the Agreement is binding on, and may be relied on by, all persons and bodies.

Marginal note:Inconsistency with Agreement

• 5. (1) The Agreement prevails over this Act and any other federal law to the extent of any inconsistency or conflict between them.

• Marginal note:Conflict with Act

  (2) This Act prevails over any other federal law to the extent of any conflict between them.

APPROPRIATION

Marginal note:Payments out of C.R.F.

6. There shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund any sums that are required to meet the monetary obligations of Her Majesty in right of Canada under Chapters 16 and 17 of the Agreement.

LANDS

Marginal note:Fee simple estate

7. On the effective date of the Agreement, each Maanulth First Nation owns the estate in fee simple, as set out in Chapter 2 of the Agreement, in the Maanulth Lands referred to in relation to it in subparagraph 2.1.1a., b., c., d. or e. of the Agreement, as the case may be. In addition, the Ucluelet First Nation owns the estate in fee simple, as set out in Chapter 2 of the Agreement, in the Other Maanulth Lands referred to in paragraph 2.2.1 of the Agreement.

TAXATION

Marginal note:Tax Treatment Agreement given effect

8. The Tax Treatment Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law during the period that it is in effect.

Marginal note:Not a treaty

9. The Tax Treatment Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

FISHERIES

Marginal note:Powers of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

10. Despite section 7 of the Fisheries Act, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans may, on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada, enter into and implement the Maa-nulth Harvest Agreement referred to in paragraph 10.2.1 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it.

Marginal note:Not a treaty

11. That Harvest Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

APPLICATION OF OTHER ACTS

Marginal note:Indian Act

12. Subject to the provisions of Chapter 15 of the Agreement that deal with the continuing application of the Indian Act, and paragraphs 19.5.1 to 19.5.6 of the Agreement, the Indian Act does not apply to Maanulthaht, Maanulth First Nations, Maanulth Governments, Maanulth Public Institutions or Maanulth Corporations as of the effective date of the Agreement, except for the purpose of determining whether an individual is an Indian.

Marginal note:Statutory Instruments Act

13. Maanulth Laws and other instruments made under the Agreement are not statutory instruments for the purposes of the Statutory Instruments Act.

APPLICATION OF LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Marginal note:Incorporation by reference

14. To the extent that a law of British Columbia does not apply of its own force to a Maanulthaht, a Maanulth Citizen, a Maanulth First Nation, a Maanulth Government, a Maanulth Public Institution, a Maanulth Corporation, Maanulth Lands or Other Maanulth Lands, because of the exclusive legislative authority of Parliament set out in Class 24 of section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, that law of British Columbia applies to it or to them by virtue of this section, in accordance with the Agreement and subject to this Act and any other Act of Parliament.

GENERAL

Marginal note:Judicial notice of Agreements

• 15. (1) Judicial notice shall be taken of the Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement.

• Marginal note:Publication of Agreements

  (2) The Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement shall be published by the Queen’s Printer.

• Marginal note:Evidence

  (3) A copy of the Agreement or the Tax Treatment Agreement published by the Queen’s Printer is evidence of that agreement and of its contents, and a copy purporting to be published by the Queen’s Printer is deemed to be so published, unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Judicial notice of Maanulth Laws

• 16. (1) Judicial notice shall be taken of Maanulth Laws.

• Marginal note:Evidence of Maanulth Laws

  (2) A copy of a Maanulth Law purporting to be deposited in a public registry of laws referred to in subparagraph 13.5.1a. of the Agreement is evidence of that law and of its contents, unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Orders and regulations

17. The Governor in Council may make any orders and regulations that are necessary for the purpose of carrying out any of the provisions of the Agreement or of the Tax Treatment Agreement.

Marginal note:Chapters 26 and 28 of Agreement

18. Despite subsection 4(1), Chapters 26 and 28 of the Agreement are deemed to have effect as of December 9, 2006.

Marginal note:Notice of issues arising

• 19. (1) If an issue arises in any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of the interpretation or validity of the Agreement, or the validity or applicability of this Act, the British Columbia Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Act or any Maanulth Law, then the issue shall not be decided until the party raising the issue has served notice on the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and each applicable Maanulth First Nation.

• Marginal note:Content of notice

  (2) The notice shall

  • (a) describe the judicial or administrative proceeding;

  • (b) specify what the issue arises in respect of;

  • (c) state the day on which the issue is to be argued;

  • (d) give particulars necessary to show the point to be argued; and

  • (e) be served at least 14 days before the day of argument, unless the court or tribunal authorizes a shorter period.

• Marginal note:Participation in proceedings

  (3) In any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of which subsection (1) applies, the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the applicable Maanulth First Nation may appear and participate in the proceeding as parties with the same rights as any other party.

• Marginal note:Saving

  (4) For greater certainty, subsections (2) and (3) do not require that an oral hearing be held if one is not otherwise required.

CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

R.S., c. A-1Access to Information Act

20. Subsection 13(3) of the Access to Information Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (e), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (f) and by adding the following after paragraph (f):

R.S., c. F-14Fisheries Act

21. Subsection 5(4) of the Fisheries Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (a), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (b) and by adding the following after paragraph (b):

R.S., c. M-13; 2000, c. 8, s. 2Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act

22. The definition “taxing authority” in subsection 2(1) of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (h), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (i) and by adding the following after paragraph (i):

R.S., c. P-21Privacy Act

23. Subsection 8(7) of the Privacy Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (e), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (f) and by adding the following after paragraph (f):

2008, c. 22Specific Claims Tribunal Act

24. Part 1 of the schedule to the Specific Claims Tribunal Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

COMING INTO FORCE

Marginal note:Order in council

25. The provisions of this Act, other than section 18, come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.