MP Romeo Saganash speaks in support of Bill C-262 prior to its Third Reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The Council of Canadians welcomes the passage of Bill C-262 in the House of Commons earlier this week, but joins with many others in calling for the Trudeau government to act in accordance with its key principle of free, prior and informed consent, notably with respect to the Kinder Morgan pipeline project.
The CBC reports, “A private member’s bill aimed at ensuring Canada’s laws are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has earned the approval of the House of Commons. Bill C-262, introduced by New Democrat MP and reconciliation critic Romeo Saganash, won the support of MPs by a margin of 206 to 79 and is now en route to the Senate.”
The Council of Canadians has long backed UNDRIP. On September 25, 2007, we issued a media release that stated, “The Council of Canadians denounces the Harper government for voting against UNDRIP along with the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. The Council of Canadians is demanding that the Canadian government show leadership on indigenous rights by supporting the Declaration and taking necessary measures to ensure justice for Aboriginal communities in Canada.”
Most recently, numerous Council of Canadians chapters across the country contacted their Member of Parliament to express their support for Bill C-262. Kent County chapter activist Ann Pohl was even in the House of Commons on February 5 of this year to witness the Second Reading passage of the legislation.
After initially saying Bill C-262 was “unworkable”, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould stated in November 2017, “With the direction and leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, our government will support Bill C-262. The bill acknowledges the application of the United Nations declaration in Canada and calls for the alignment of the laws of Canada with the United Nations declaration.”
iPolitics now reports, “However, the vote has some politicians thinking about the government’s decision this week to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline despite vocal opposition from the Indigenous communities that don’t support the project. UNDRIP contains provisions requiring that Indigenous people have free, prior and informed consent when it comes to projects which affect their land — such as the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, which passes through 518 kilometres of Secwepemc territory.”
That article adds, “NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh [says] ‘I’m concerned with the government talking a lot about making sure that First Nations and Indigenous peoples are the most important relationship and then completely breaking that commitment [through] what we see with Kinder Morgan,’ he said. When asked whether Bill C-262’s passage will tie the government’s hands on Kinder Morgan, Singh said ‘it should.’ [And] Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the government’s decision to support Saganash’s bill Wednesday is at odds with the move it made on Kinder Morgan the day before.”
Council of Canadians honorary chairperson Maude Barlow has stated, “We recognize and respect First Nations’ decisions to ban tar sands pipelines and tankers from their territories and we offer our support and solidarity.”
#AdoptAndImplement #BillC262 #StopKM #StoptheKMbuyout
