Trudeau's worst nightmare: Indigenous resistance to tar sands expa

[jacee]

indigenous-tar-sands-treaty-could-be-trudeaus-worst-nightmare

At simultaneous press conferences in Montreal and Vancouver earlier today, over 50 First Nations signed onto a new treaty alliance to stop the expansion of Albertas tar sands. It amounts to a mutual defence pact call it NATO for pipelines with signatories promising to mobilize their communities against any pipeline development that allows the tar sands to be expanded, even those thousands of kilometres away from their territory.

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http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/09/22/news/first-nations-across-north-america-sign-treaty-alliance-against-oilsands

Interesting development, a treaty alliance among 50 Indigenous Nations to use their legal Aboriginal rights to prevent tar sands expansion and distribution/export of product.

We are certainly seeing a resurgence of Indigenous influence following two decades of Supreme Court decisions upholding the Crown's duty to consult and to accommodate Aboriginal rights.

It appears that CAPP recognizes their legitimate influence too.

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[PIK]

I understand American tribes are also in on this. Time for trudeau to show some leadership and tell them where they can get off and do what is right for the country.

[jacee]

I understand American tribes are also in on this.

Yes, so the pipelines can't just bypass the Canadian resistance by going through the northern states.

Time for trudeau to show some leadership and tell them where they can get off and do what is right for the country.

You think Trudeau can just "tell them"?

Not very realistic pik.

He has no legal right to do that.

They do have a legal right to a say in developments (eg, pipelines) that affect Aboriginal rights on their traditional land.

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Edited September 23, 2016 by jacee

[?Impact]

I understand American tribes are also in on this. Time for trudeau to show some leadership and tell them where they can get off and do what is right for the country.

After 9 years, we get to see how many miles of pipeline to blue water gets built. The bar is very low.

[bush_cheney2004]

The Americans, "aboriginal" or not, already told Trudeau what to do with his cross border pipeline.

[Smoke]

After 9 years, we get to see how many miles of pipeline to blue water gets built. The bar is very low.

But Harper, but Harper.....

[Guest]

With any luck it will make the price of oil go up so we can get drilling again.

[poochy]

But Harper, but Harper.....

Every comment on every subject, has nothing of value to add

Edited September 24, 2016 by poochy

[Accountability Now]

Interesting development, a treaty alliance among 50 Indigenous Nations to use their legal Aboriginal rights to prevent tar sands expansion and distribution/export of product.

What's more interesting is that according to the list of signatories, no First Nations from Alberta or Saskatchewan have signed this. Don't you think the ones who are closely situated would want to sign? Or is this another case of have and have nots with the have nots whining about nasty oil? Kind of reminds me of Idle No More....which seems to be idle once again.

http://www.treatyalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Treaty-Alliance-List-of-Signatory-Nations-Preliminary.pdf

[overthere]

The Americans, "aboriginal" or not, already told Trudeau what to do with his cross border pipeline.

True, Obama was too busy building US export capacity, and banning Keystone XL on the pretense that it has something to do with the environment was convenient. The real reasons were to buy time for him to build US capacity and infrastructure, and to eliminate the competition from CDN oil. "MIssion Accomplished". Not only that, there are many mentally deficient people in Canada who think it was a green initiative.

[overthere]

Poor Justin. His 'social licence ' initiative is a monumental flop. He joins Notley in a major and failed PR exercise.

Worse for him is that he cannot delay and 'consult' forever on pipeline decisions, as is the current policy, in the hope it will all just go away. He will have to make a decision, one that will piss off many people either way.. Either way, the lineups for selfies with him will get shorter. His instinct will be to approve Kinder Morgan, with countless new conditions to delay it as long as possible, hopefully so K_M will cancel it themselves.. It will piss off some Liberal MPs in BC, piss off some First Nations, but briefly appease the growing wall of hate building elsewhere in the West. He'll do all he can to delay Energy East forever, too many seats at risk in Quebec as always. In the end, the Quebec vote matters much more than the 4% of Canadians who are aboriginal. If only the world was less pragmatic.

It is a fervent wish that somewhere, sometime n his career as PM he stops as Morneaus office and asks the burning question: "Bill, do we have any money? Any credit left?".

[PIK]

With all the consulting going on, it might be just before the next election when trudeau has to finally make some tough decisions.

[overthere]

With all the consulting going on, it might be just before the next election when trudeau has to finally make some tough decisions.

If only that were true. I don't doubt that the strategy is to delay delay delay, that has been the pattern for the last year with Trudeau on this and other files. With the pipeline file, he knows full well that endless delay results in the pipeline builders saying bye bye to Canada- an outcome that he thinks will have the least political cost to him. And he may well be right. It means he does not have to make a decision, and golly what can he do if companies choose to leave? Don't forget, Trudeau has said he sees himself as 'neutral', a 'referee'. It is quite an astonishing position for a Prime Minister to take. Exports of commodities like oil and gas are central to the health of the Canadian economy, and the PM has no opinions on them? The process reeks of Gerald Butts.

[Smallc]

There would have been no pipelines approved at this point by any government. You know that, but you keep repeating falsehoods over and over anyway.

[PIK]

One beef with harper was he did not just go thru with it and get it done.

[overthere]

There would have been no pipelines approved at this point by any government. You know that, but you keep repeating falsehoods over and over anyway.

It is public record that Trudeau has introduced obstacles since elected, and his statements of being a 'referee' are his, not mine.

But do keep those pom poms waving, cheerleaders have a role too.

[Smallc]

It is public record that Trudeau has introduced obstacles since elected, and his statements of being a 'referee' are his, not mine.

But do keep those pom poms waving, cheerleaders have a role too.

Obstacles - determining the net carbon impact and requiring community buy in. So scary.

[?Impact]

Exports of commodities like oil and gas are central to the health of the Canadian economy, and the PM has no opinions on them?

No, Canada needs to have a strong value added export economy. We have had many decades of growing positive balance of trade, until the previous government with its hewers of wood and drawers of water mentally turned us into consistent trade deficits.

[Smoke]

Obstacles - determining the net carbon impact and requiring community buy in. So scary.

Do you also believe in community buy-in for wind turbines in rural Ontario?

Currently we have no say. Yeah, there are "town hall" meetings with local politicians and turbine companies, where locals can protest, but both sides know that these are just for show as the Province has the final say and Wynne will allow her Liberal donors to put them where they damn well please.

[Smoke]

No, Canada needs to have a strong value added export economy. We have had many decades of growing positive balance of trade, until the previous government with its hewers of wood and drawers of water mentally turned us into consistent trade deficits.

But Harper, but Harper...

[Smallc]

Do you also believe in community buy-in for wind turbines in rural Ontario?

What does that have to do with the federal government?

[overthere]

No, Canada needs to have a strong value added export economy. We have had many decades of growing positive balance of trade, until the previous government with its hewers of wood and drawers of water mentally turned us into consistent trade deficits.

We have been hearing this for mantra 50+ years, and nobody can argue that adding value to exports is just a terrific idea for our economy. But while we are doing that, what is the point of abandoning those sectors of the economy that actually, in real terms and not buzzphrases, fuel our social contract? We make money as hewers of wood. Lots of money. We don't do so well selling other things to countries that do it better and/or cheaper than us.

[poochy]

Obstacles - determining the net carbon impact and requiring community buy in. So scary.

So yes, an obstacle, you have a real issue with the truth when it comes to this government, but no, I doubt that there would be any shovels in the ground regardless of who was in government, but Trudeau has certainly not helped.

Edited September 27, 2016 by poochy

[Smallc]

In other words, you're complaining about something that hasn't posed an obstacle by your own admission.