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Be sure to look for the ‘ucky’ stuff in federal politics

I would recommend that everyone Google bill C-45 and read the many learned articles available on the subject...

To the Editor:

What is the fuss about bill C-45 as proposed by the federal Conservatives? My mother was a genius at hiding “ucky” foods in a casserole — liver was her favorite. Bill C-45 was designed to do the same thing. Under pressure to please some of the people some of the time, the government put forth a complicated, all encompassing document, hoping to slip some “ucky” stuff through with the good.

First to raise the flag were First Nations peoples, whose concerns were mainly with the proposed changes to the Fisheries Act and Navigable Waters Protection Act, and the revision of the Indian Act.

While the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association was excited about the changes, which may make it easier for them to slip pipelines through our B.C. pristine wilderness, and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities had requested changes so that streams that only run during spring runoff would no longer come under the act, making it easier to do bridge and culvert work, aboriginal defenders of the land saw a backdoor move to circumvent public protests against threats to our environment.

Hence, the Idle No More movement began as a Facebook page, by four Saskatchewan women, and became a social media phenomenon.

First Nations peoples, made up of many different nations, or tribes, with different interests, have long hoped for a completely revamped Indian Act. They rightly expect the federal government to consult with them before a new document is written.

Instead of dealing with the whole act, the government included sections of bill C-45 to deal with First Nations issues, namely “leasing” of reserve lands. Some first nations have pursued economic development by leasing their lands for shopping centres, industrial parks, casinos, residential developments, etc., which creates income and jobs for their people. The Indian Act of today makes this process cumbersome and costly and delays cause some deals to lose out to competing jurisdictions. Bill C-45 would streamline the process.

Rules governing the “sale” of reserve lands would not change. The Idle No More movement has concerns that this is a move to sell off reserve lands, but that is denied by Tom Flanagan, political science professor and Conservative fundraiser in Calgary. Flanagan claims the lawyer representing the Assembly of First Nations “cautiously endorsed the substance of the amendments” proposed in C-45, while pointing out that there had not been adequate consultation with First Nations.

While some of these proposed amendments may have been an honest attempt to right some wrongs in federal legislation, Liberal Bob Rae was quoted in Maclean’s, “If you go back to many of the principles of parliamentary democracy, they’re opposed to this joining together of several measures in one bill. In some states in the United States, to do that is actually unconstitutional.”

NDP MP David Christopherson, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said in Maclean’s. “The government is trying to give the impression of a more detailed scrutiny of the budget, but, in reality, it’s all a charade. It leaves Canadians with the impression that this government is being transparent and accountable, but the reality is they are not.”

I would recommend that everyone Google bill C-45 and read the many learned articles available on the subject. Chief Jason Louie, of the local Lower Kootenay Band, wrote a positive column on the subject in I Love Creston. This may be the defining piece of legislation of this decade and we should all look for the “ucky” stuff before the next election.

Signe Miller

Canyon