Gitxsan Submission to be Heard Tomorrow

Tuesday, November 28, 2006 03:59 AM

The joint Federal and Provincial government review panel has scheduled a special one day meeting of the panel in Victoria tomorrow to hear a written summary of the Gitxsan’s request that the Kemess hearing be suspended.

The Kemess Joint Review Panel which is holding the hearings into the Kemess North Mine Project will hear the submission and deal with the matter.

The Gitxsan ask that the hearings into the new mine be suspended until the Federal and provincial agencies have consulted with the Gitxsan and other affected First Nations on the preliminary determinations that are being presented in the environmental impact Assessment Review.

The Gitxsan also seek to have adequate funding and time to engage expertise to assist the Gitxsan in such consultations and preparation of their submissions to the government agencies and the panel on the issues being reviewed in the ERA Review.

The Submission goes on to say the panel’s mandate requires it to consider the interests of the First Nations in relation to this project, but the record of these interests is inadequate. The Gitxsan also say they have been improperly excluded from the consultation process and do not have the resources and opportunity to participate effectively in the EIA Review.

The Gitxsan have asked to have $1.5 million dollars in funding so they can participate at the hearings. The Government, they say, has offered only $80,000 which is an insult.

The mine is seeking to open a second $200 million dollar open pit with a shelf life of 10 years that will retain the 350 jobs at the site from across the north including Prince George and Smithers.

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Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on November 28 2006 6:15 AM

1.5 million to sit in a meeting? Wow!

Posted by: owl on November 28 2006 10:31 AM

"The Gitxsan also seek to have adequate funding and time to engage expertise to assist the Gitxsan in such consultations and preparation of their submissions to the government agencies and the panel on the issues being reviewed in the ERA Review."

That is where most of the money would be spent, professional fees for consultants - biologists, hyrdologists, geologists, engineers, lawyers, etc.

Remember, the government spends their money from taxpayers (that is "we the people") to provide them with the support the need for their consultants; the industry spends the money from those who will purchase their products (hey, that is "we the people" once more); and under those who have a right to oppose it also have access to support, otherwise such opposition would typically not occur due to financial constraints. So, "we the people" will be paying for that as well.

Even if the Gitxsan would look for donations, it would be "we the people" who would be donating.

So, it would be best for "we the people" if such environmental hearing were not conducted. It would make the whole process that much cheaper for "we the people". Of course, "we the people" may get stuck with poor water, poor fishing, poor air and, when we cannot stand that anymore then "we the people" would have to foot the bill to clean it up.

So, as I say so often, why care. It all keeps the money moving. Just think, if that were not the case, then those people would be out of a job and "we the people" would have to feed them through the welfare system.

;-)

Posted by: metalman on November 28 2006 1:06 PM

Am I wrong in labelling the Gitxsan a special interest group? 1.5 million dollars to participate? Gimme a break, why not take the time off work (?) and show up for the meeting? Just wondering if other 'special interest' groups are eligible for funding....Hey, anybody wanna join my club? I call it the Canadian Taxpayers Club. We'll all get together and petition the gov't for funds so we can go to the meetings too. I bet most of us are interested in not letting big business ruin our ecology, for the sake of our economy, and for maximum "Return On Investment" to the shareholders, but would also like to keep our high paying jobs. Just think, we 'the people' (thanks owl) would be able to tell 'them' what we think, too. What, a revolution? Oh heck, I don't have any more time to talk, I must get back to work or I won't be able to pay my taxes, and that might result in no funding availability for special interest groups. No rest for the wicked, and for politically incorrect taxpayers.
P.S. I hope I live to see the day when we are all equal, no more special interest groups, we all pitch in, and we all benefit.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on November 28 2006 1:18 PM

Insult me!! For $80,000 I'd even let ammonra insult me.

Posted by: ammonra on November 28 2006 2:34 PM

I could do that for a lot less than $80,000. I'd quite enjoy doing it for free!

The Gitsxsan are not a "special interest group" in the usual meaning of the term. That would be the mining company who are trying to dump sulphuric acid in a lake used by the Gitxsan to provide the fish they eat. Understandably, at least by me and millions of other Canadians, they want to keep their source of food uncontaminated and productive, plus they have legal rights over the lake as well.

If the special interest group who have applied to destroy the lake can make millions upon millions of $$$ for their stockholders by ruining Gitxsan property, a few million taken from the taxes coming from the company's production and profits won't be missed, would it? They do pay taxes on the profits from the minerals they extract, I presume.

Still, $200 million just to dig a hole in the ground. Wow!

Posted by: ammonra on November 28 2006 2:46 PM

Posted by: duffer on December 1 2006 4:25 PM

I see no reason to give them another 1.5 Million dollars to hire lawyers, biologists and whatever esle they want to sit in on a meeting. Use some of the millions of dollars they are already given each year. We can't keep wasting our tax money like this. We would get more out of fixing up some roads than wasting our money on lawyers.