Chiefs take fight to House of Commons’ doorstep

By Jorge Barrera and Kenneth Jackson APTN National News December 4 2012

OTTAWA–First Nations chiefs clashed with Parliament Hill security guards Tuesday after they tried to enter the House of Commons and deliver a message to the Harper government that the time for talk had passed.

Surrounded by the crush of video cameras and bathed in the glow of TV lights, the chiefs from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario served notice that they now planned to take “direct action” against the Harper government.

The dramatic confrontation lasted for only about 30 seconds when chiefs relented and pulled back from their attempt to enter the green-carpeted chamber where the laws of the land get debated and only MPs and chamber officials are allowed to enter.

Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee led the attempted walk into the chamber and was flanked by Serpent River First Nation Chief Isadore Day, Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Derek Nepinak.

“We were asked to come in here,” said Madahbee.

“No, not in the chamber,” said a Parliament Hill security guard.

“We need to go into the House of Commons,” said Day. “We allowed them onto this land. We signed treaties with this government.”

But the security guards barred the way.

“You are not going to accomplish anything by rushing into the Commons chamber,” said the guard.

“We are not rushing, we are trying to walk in if you get the hell out of the road,” said Madahbee.

Moments earlier, oil-rich Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox confronted Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver.

Fox, who is planning to travel to Vienna later this month to a meeting of the OPEC oil cartel, challenged Oliver on what he said was Ottawa’s policy to strip away the rights of Indigenous peoples to their lands.

“I think we can work together as partners to achieve what you want to achieve which is full respect for your rights,” said Oliver.

“There is an inherent right, the land belongs to our people. Why is government policy and legislation always wanting us to surrender the land? To cede and surrender,” said Fox.

“What we are looking for is equal partnership. That is what our government wants to do,” said Oliver, before retreating back into the Chamber. “We are going to continue to work on behalf of all the people of Canada.”

“Your law and your legislation won’t mean a damn thing to us, it won’t work,” said Madahbee.

It was Fox who had called the chiefs that morning to leave the plush confines of the Hilton hotel at the Lac Leamy Casino in Gatineau, Que., cross the Ottawa River and take their message to Parliament Hill. The chiefs are meeting there this week as part of their annual Assembly of First Nations special chiefs assembly.

“We tried to enter into the house in order to deliver our message to all Members of Parliament and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a peaceful way that our Inherent and Treaty Rights aren’t negotiable. We weren’t consulted on C-45 (the omnibus bill) which outlines a new legislation on land surrender and wanted to be included in these discussions,” said Fox in a statement issued late in the day. “These actions have strained a already fragile relationship. We have no other choice now but to take a course that will have impacts on all Canadians.”

About 200 people, included chiefs from across the country answered the call and gathered on the steps leading to Parliament Hill’s Centre Block.

The rally began at about 1 p.m. as chiefs trickled in one by one. They then marched towards the Peace Tower where they were met by a steel barricade and RCMP officers.

During speeches Nepinak approached one officer and asked why they weren’t be allowed through. He was told they were to stay on the other side while other people were allowed to pass.

About five minutes later the RCMP officer approached Nepinak and told him NDP Charlie Angus was trying to negotiate a way for the chiefs to enter the Parliament buildings.

The chiefs then left the crowd and walked to the front door of Parliament Hill. They weren’t allowed in and told to go through security on the side. They then walked up to the chamber 

 

By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press December 4 2012

OTTAWA—After about six hours, a series of votes to amend the Conservative government’s latest omnibus budget bill has ended.

Opposition parties were trying to push through amendments to Bill C-45, which makes changes to a range of rules and regulations.

The Conservative majority government did not allow any of the amendments to pass.

As the final votes were cast, the New Democrats began to chant “2015,” in reference to the next federal election — when they say the Harper government will be held accountable for the bill.

But the Tories say all the measures in the bill are necessary for the good of the economy and long-term prosperity.

Among those who disagree with several measures in the bill are some First Nations chiefs. They’re frustrated with what they say is a lack of consultation over measures in the bill and earlier tried to get into the chamber of the House of Commons.

They spoke briefly with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, saying they were there to serve notice to government they wouldn’t tolerate being ignored any longer. When Oliver left, the chiefs tried to force their way in but were held back by security.

Among the provisions in Bill C-45 are an extension of a hiring credit for small businesses, changes to land management on aboriginal reserves, pay raises for judges and a law allowing for the creation of a new bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.

The most contentious changes are those to the Navigable Waters Protection Act, which remove thousands of lakes and streams from federal protection under that law.

Opposition parties say that removes environmental oversight of these waterways and the manner in which the law will continue to be applied is haphazard.

“Important lakes and rivers in my region are being stripped of protection,” said New Democrat MP Glen Thibeault, who represents Sudbury, Ont.

“Meanwhile, Muskoka millionaires’ playgrounds are protected while lakes that supply drinking water are not. Will no Conservative stand up for our natural heritage and vote against this cherry-picking of protected lakes?”

The Conservatives said the changes streamline regulation and remove red tape that held up projects along waterways under the guise that they would impede navigation.

Many waterways will still fall under the environmental protection afforded by other laws, Transportation Minister Denis Lebel said.

Thousands of amendments to the bill were introduced during its study by the finance committee but only a few hundred made it to Tuesday’s vote.

All were grouped by the Speaker in such a way that voting was expected to take as much as eight hours.

Once the bill receives a third reading in the Commons, it will move on to the Senate with the expectation that it will become law before the end of the year.

In the end, the six-hour vote was far less than MPs spent on the last omnibus budget bill.

That bill, introduced in the spring, saw MPs vote for over 22 hours on hundreds of opposition amendments. The bill eventually passed unchanged.

Opposition MPs say the use of omnibus bills subverts the democratic process as they don’t give Parliament the ability to do its job in holding government to account.