Bob
Simpson
MLA
Cariboo North
Media
Release
For
Immediate Release
November
15 2011
First Nations
may not have a veto, but they can still stop mining expansion
Bob
Simpson, the independent MLA for Cariboo North is challenging the provincial
government to rethink its aboriginal relations strategy if it truly wants to see
mining expand in BC anytime soon.
“The
Premier’s misrepresentation of the West Moberly First Nations’ position on the
Gething coal mine project is indicative of her government’s increasing lack of
respect for the ability of First Nations to thwart or outright stop mining
expansion in this province,” said MLA Bob Simpson.
“First
Nations may not have a direct veto over individual mining projects, but they
have constitutional and legal rights which demand higher standards of
consultation than the government is currently practicing and First Nations also
have the ability to take either legal or direct actions that will chase mining
investment away from BC,” said Simpson.
Simpson
pointed out that the government is so grossly mishandling First Nations
consultations with respect to the expansion of Mount Polley Mine in the Likely
area that the Williams Lake and Xats’ull Indian Bands have been forced to
consider taking either legal or direct action against this expansion.
In
Question Period Monday, the Independent MLA asked the government to explicitly
state how they were going to address the fact that the Tsilquot’in National
Government (TNG) has rejected Taseko Mine’s New Prosperity project even before
it undergoes a second federal environmental review.
“The
provincial government continues to permit the draining of Fish Lake, despite the
rejection of that proposal by the Harper government. The province is also acting
as though the Prosperity Mine is a ‘done deal’ causing the TNG to take it to
court for its continued failure to adhere to even the most basic consultation
requirements,” said Simpson.
Simpson
called on the province to work with the federal government and conduct a joint environmental assessment of Taseko Mines’ New
Prosperity project. He also called for the immediate establishment of a
government-to-government table with the TNG to begin to address their
substantive concerns about mining development on their traditional
territories.
The
Cariboo North MLA indicated he is concerned that opportunities to enjoy a wide
range of mining activity in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region will be lost simply
because the government is increasingly acting in bad faith towards First
Nations.
“We have
multiple opportunities in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, and all of BC, to expand
existing mines and start new ones, but these exciting prospects will be lost if
Premier Clark and her government continue to undervalue and show disrespect for
the role First Nations want to play in this development,” said the Independent
MLA.
Media Contact: Brian Kowalski
250-387-8347
-30-
Best
regards,
Brian
Kowalski
Outreach and
Communications Coordinator
Bob Simpson,
Independent MLA, Cariboo North
250-387-8347
