She was sick of having French stuffed down her throat and paying for Native people who’s ancestors sold out too low.
NDP Leader Adrian Dix had to Kelowna-Mission NDP candidate Dayleen Van Ryswyk before lunch on day zero of the campaign for controversial remarks. Lead BC Reporter Bryn Weese joined David Akin to chat about ‘bozo candidates’.
While hailing this historically historic deal where the Northwest Territories gets more control over land and resources, territorial premier Bob McLeod noted that two of the territory’s seven aboriginal governments haven’t yet signed on but he hopes they might. Now hang on. The total population of the Northwest Territories is under 42,000 people. And it has eight governments? And everyone’s hopes for prosperity are that one of these governments is going to get more money that used to go to a different, national government?
Is it just me, or is there too much emphasis on politics as the path to wealth and happiness here?
Well isn’t this nice? Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Derek Nepinak (yes, he who in January demanded “an end to 140 years of colonial rule” or Idle No More might ”bring the Canadian economy to its knees”) put out a press release welcoming “the new Minister of Aboriginal And Northern Development Canada”.
Perhaps welcome is too strong a word. The release (not yet on their web site, but distributed through the Parliamentary Press Gallery) said
It would be nice to hear the words or a statement from the new minister opposed to regurgitation from the previous minister. It’s quite apparent from his first ‘statement’ that there is a common thread tying ministers together in a tightly controlled authoritarian Harper regime.
It went on to praise Valcourt’s “strong and accomplished record in Eastern Canada” before again disparaging the “highly contained and controlled Harper regime” and saying
The development of the Canadian idea is also fundamentally different in western Canada because of treaties that opened the west to immigrant settlement. I am uncertain as to whether the minister from eastern Canada can or will fully understand the fundamental differences.
After which it generously went on to “congratulate” and “welcome” Valcourt and demand he study Canada’s “dark colonial history”. Gosh, with a warm, courteous greeting like that, who can doubt that a productive and open relationship will soon flourish?
Terry Glavin pens yet another must-read post about that famous duty to consult aboriginals. Please read it. The bottom line: it is NOT true, as Bob Rae said, that the law in Canada, as interpreted by the courts, forces parliament to get the free prior consent of aboriginals before enacting legislation that might affect treaty rights. I’ve read the court rulings myself. Terry is right and Bob Rae is wrong. Period.
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