How Much Right Is The Government Prepared To Turn Over

By Ben Meisner

Quietly there has been a group of business people examining the proposed legislation that Premier Campbell now says will not hit the order paper until after the provincial election with a view to what it means to the people of this province.

What they see they don’t like and a good many of them now feel that the matter should be discussed before and not after an election given government propensity to go back on their word following a vote.  The sale of BC rail was pitched following the election that it wasn’t really a sale just a lease, that pitch not only made the public laugh but the people who were trying to spin it as well.

In the discussion paper for the bill, Jessica MacDonald ,Deputy Minister to the Premier advised Industry that the phrase, “ Shared decision making “ is not intended  by BC to give First Nations a veto.

A legal opinion handed to those industry reps suggests something totally different. It says, "A court will likely interpret 'shared decision-making' by its plain and ordinary meaning. Meaning that both parties either agree on a particular action or decision, or no decision is made."

The BC Union of Indian Chiefs understands what the legislation would cover and they have been promoting it themselves.

The legal opinion also states: “The legislation proposes power and control to the First Nations well beyond what has been established by the Supreme Court of Canada”.

Those writings should have been sufficient to scare off even the most vehement supporters of the bill, but it did not, instead Premier Campbell’s office put out this release;

STATEMENT ON RECOGNITION AND RECONCILIATION ACT

VICTORIA - Premier Gordon Campbell, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and

Reconciliation Michael de Jong and the First Nations Leadership Council:

Regional Chief Shawn Atleo of the BC Assembly of First Nations; Grand

Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs; and

Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit made the following

statement  regarding the status of the Recognition and

Reconciliation Act:

"Over the past several weeks many important issues, concerns and

questions have been raised about the Discussion Paper for Implementing

the New Relationship and the concept of a new Recognition and

Reconciliation Act.

"This is the time for us to make this important and historic

transition in our government to government relationship and we need to

take the time to make sure we get this right.

"As the parties to the discussion paper, together we need to take

the time for consultation and further discussions before tabling this

bill."

The Premier and Minister de Jong will continue to engage with the

business community on this important initiative.

Now that does not suggest a backing away from the act, anything but.

So where do the Liberals sit, they have just dropped the best campaign issue into the laps of the NDP since they took office. All the NDP have to do is sit back and watch the Liberal party come unglued.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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