221 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

CFAX reporting that the protestors plan to camp out on the courthouse lawns for 24 hours. Given that we just spent millions cleaning up after the last group and camping is not permitted there, any bets whether VicPD enforces the law?

Given that one of the Victoria Police Board chairs has publicly endorsed the protest, I think the possibility of police enforcement will be little-to-nonexistent...unless perhaps a protester is seen with a single-use plastic bag in their possession.

[jonny]

 

 

 

Coast GasLink is a path to reconciliation

 

Dear Editor,

It’s unfortunate that Shannon McPhail’s op-ed (Industry, government signing agreements with wrong chiefs, September 26, 2018) seems to diminish what an amazing achievement it is for Coastal GasLink to have 100 per cent support along its pipeline route with the elected Indigenous bands and, at the same time, downplays the role of elected representatives in First Nations communities.

As the elected Chief Councillor for the Haisla Nation, we are proud to be counted among those nations that have negotiated agreements with Coastal GasLink for the benefit of our entire nation. Our decisions, as always, aim to enhance the quality of life for all Haisla members.

We of course only speak from the Haisla perspective, but the system we follow for economic development has created a very welcoming environment that works towards projects which are responsible and sustainable.

If we want to discuss a pathway to reconciliation, examples like the Coastal GasLink project are it. That is, creating those relationships and agreements to keep First Nations at the table, and to consider our expertise and input to creating safe projects.

Through economic development, we are achieving reconciliation, both with industry proponents and with the provincial government as well.

Getting in the way of that reconciliation, however, are pieces such as this which paints the picture that First Nations are confused with how they govern themselves. It’s not helpful and gets in the way of effective economic development.

What reconciliation may mean to other Nations is of course up to them individually.

What we can say though is that the Haisla Nation Council has the mandate from its members to pursue responsible LNG development. We do not go into agreements lightly, and we are proud of what we have accomplished with TransCanada on Coastal GasLink.

Crystal Smith

Haisla Nation Chief Councillor

 

https://www.northern...reconciliation/

[spanky123]

What is truly ironic is that the climate action plan that the Mayor and Ben Isitt have developed and endorsed over the past several months has moving from oil to natural gas as one of the key milestones required in order to meet the 80% target GHG reductions that they have set for themselves. Since they were both out campaigning protesting today against LNG and pipelines, you have to wonder whether their climate action document is anything more than just BS to appease their supporters.

[Nparker]

So the pipeline is both a boon and a bane to First Nations reconciliation. I'd sure like that explained in SJW terms.

[jonny]

The greatest thing we could do for climate change is help China get off coal, which is what they are trying to do by transitioning to natural gas. 

[Nparker]

...you have to wonder whether their climate action document is anything more than just BS to appease their supporters.

I don't wonder at all: their every action and every word is meant to appease their supporters, even when it is entirely contradictory.

[jonny]

To me these issues are so interesting and so frustrating because they speak to the very core of our confederation.

 

Do we have a federal government and do they have any jurisdiction?

 

Do we have a provincial government and do they have any jurisdiction?

 

Does the rule of law matter whatsoever?

 

One area or group (Wet’suwet’en) cannot hold everybody else hostage, can they? What if one group can actually inhibit or prohibit the economic and social vitality being offered to so many BCers, “settler” or FN? What the hell kind of country is that? That’s not a country, that’s anarchy.

 

Are we devolving into anarchy? Serious question.

 

What if this works? What’s next? What’s the next level of government to fall to anarchy and mob rule?

 

What if a the hereditary elder of a FN decided they didn’t want power lines running through their traditional territory? What about a road? What if they didn’t want ships passing through their traditional waterways? A natural gas pipeline is not so different.

[spanky123]

All very good points Jonny. According to wikipedia, the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en FN claim ownership of 22,000 sq km of territory for their 100 people. 

 

It is obvious that these chiefs subscribe to the same school of logic as Lisa Helps and other leaders that believe that turning the majority against you is good for empowering the minority that support you. Too bad their followers don't see the long term damage that is being done in their name.

[rjag]

Adam Stirling is posting some great data on his twitter feed about UNDRIP. In particular he notes Article 46.1 

 

Article 46 1. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, people, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act contrary to the Charter of the United Nations or construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States.

 

 

The addition of Article 46 allow states to disregard their obligations to their Indigenous populations on the basis of territorial integrity and defense of sovereignty.

[spanky123]

I would bet that if you polled Canadians after asked if they support withdrawing from the UNDRIP treaty then 90%+ would agree.

[Victoria Watcher]

I would bet that if you polled Canadians after asked if they support withdrawing from the UNDRIP treaty then 90%+ would agree.

 

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine).

 

 

https://www.un.org/d...us-peoples.html

[Casual Kev]

Goddamned hippies, literally. Want electric cars but protest hydroelectric projects. Want to reduce emissions but protest LNG. Want walkable communities but protest densification. Bunch of out-of-touch hypocrites.

[mbjj]

We cook with natural gas. No idea where it comes from, but presumably it has to come from somewhere.

[Victoria Watcher]

No idea where it comes from, but presumably it has to come from somewhere.

 

[jonny]

Apparently the Wet'suwet'en nation has 130 hereditary chiefs within its 5 clans...I've read that only 5 have been vocal in opposition to this particular natural gas pipeline. Where are the other 125?

 

Further, the Wet'suwet'en themselves have apparently not decided among themselves who can speak on behalf of their community and their territory.

 

How do we as a society and a province reconcile with that?

 

Look, you're never going to get 100% support for anything. What our leaders (elected or not, aboriginal or not) need to do is what's best for society. What's best for the province as a whole. 

 

Again, we have another SJW tinderbox here ready to explode. The SJW politicians love to bring up aboriginal poverty on the election campaign, but when we actually have a concrete example of massive economic development that could help lift many out of poverty, the narrative changes. David Suzuki was on Global this morning talking about aboriginal poverty. Well how the hell do we solve that, David? By these people continuing to not have well paying jobs? David wants magic 'green' jobs to appear out of nowhere. 

[tedward]

I would bet that if you polled Canadians after asked if they support withdrawing from the UNDRIP treaty then 90%+ would agree.

Not really a treaty (according to Wikipedia), "as a General Assembly Declaration, UNDRIP is not a legally binding instrument under international law."

[Nparker]

From the Premier's comments on yesterday's protests:

“I don’t want to diminish the significance of the protests yesterday, but they were not uniformly focused on Wet’sewet’en territory,” Horgan said. “There are no orcas, for example on Wet’sewet’en territory. There were those who were highlighting that. There were those talking about diluted bitumen. There were those talking about eradicating capitalism. There was a whole bunch of discontent on display for Canadians to see.”

 

https://www.vicnews....nous-relations/

 

[rjag]

From the Premier's comments on yesterday's protests:

 

In other words he was saying the crowds yesterday were attended by the usual crew...

Edited by rjag, 09 January 2019 - 02:19 PM.

[spanky123]

In other words he was saying the crowds yesterday were attended by the usual crew...

 

That is a given for any protest. Don't be fooled though, the protestors want all of the fringe groups to join them as it makes their numbers look larger.

[jonny]

In other words he was saying the crowds yesterday were attended by the usual crew...

I had a friend who always attends these sorts of things tell me she went because there were soldiers with machine guns arresting peaceful protestors and that's un-Canadian.

Well, they were RCMP with rifles arresting a few people who defied a court order to not blockade a road by actually making a second blockade complete with barbed wire, but I guess facts only matter to the lefties until they don't.