First Nations and Bill C- 45 Letter From Caucus and Allies

7/30/2019 First Nations and Bill C- 45 Letter From Caucus and Allies

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is one of

more than two dozen New Brunswickcommunity organizations who signed thefollowing letter. It states our commonconcerns about the content of the OmnibusBill C-45, recently rammed through federalparliament. This Bill is devastating in how itguts environmental protections from oil, gas,and other extreme resource extractionindustries. Bill C-45 also clearly violatesinternational treaties and indigenous inherentrights. Please take a moment to read throughthis extraordinary demonstration of NBers

unity on these issues.

January 03, 2013

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON K1A 0A2

Email: [email protected];

Fax: 613-941-6900

Dear

We are a diverse group of community committees and organizations representing many

thousands of New Brunswickers who are actively concerned about the quality of their

environment. We are writing you today to express our alarm concerning the direction that youhave taken Canada with respect to recent legislation impacting our Aboriginal brothers and

sisters.

Bill C-45 has become the latest focus of Aboriginal discontent. The Idle No More protestssweeping our nation and the Chief Theresa Spence hunger strike attest to the level of anger and

frustration felt not only by First Nations people but by many other Canadians as well. We agree

with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters that much of the legislation in Bill C-45 will repress

Aboriginal rights, remove environmental protections and thereby facilitate the irresponsibleexploitation of Canadas natural resources. We would argue that the Bill C-45 legislative process

lacked the required meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples on issues that concernthem as supported by the Supreme Court of Canada. We would also argue that the process

circumvented Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

which Canada has endorsed and which provides that:

States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with indigenous peoples concerned

through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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informed consent before adopting and implementing legislation or administrative

measures that may affect them.

We sincerely hope that your government will endeavour to make new attempts at meaningful

consultation and new attempts to cooperate in good faith with our Aboriginal population.

Given the grave circumstances and great potential for irreparable harm to First Nations people

and their way of life as a consequence of this legislation, we request that you consult with FirstNations leadership, including traditional leadership, and rescind those objectionable policies that

will be enacted by Bill C-45. We also strongly urge you meet with Chief Theresa Spence and all

Aboriginal leadership and embark on a policy of inclusion, reconciliation and renewal of our

First Nations communities.

Otherwise we strongly believe that we will have missed a very important opportunity to address

past injustices and abuses and failed to ensure the healthy physical and spiritual environmentsthat our First Nations people require to survive and thrive peacefully in Canada.

Citizens Coalition for Clean Air

Concerned Citizens of PenobsquisConservation Council of New Brunswick

Corn Hill and Area Residents Association

Council of Canadians Fredericton Chapter

Council of Canadians Saint John ChapterFriends of Mount Carleton

Hampton Water First

Harvey Environmental Action TeamMemramcook Action

New Brunswickers Against FrackingParents Against Everyday PoisionsTaymouth Community Association

Tantramar Alliance Against Hydrofracking

Notre Environnement, Notre Choix

Upriver Environment WatchUpper Miramichi Stewardship Alliance

Darlings Island Fracking Intervention Naguwigewauk

Friends of UNB WoodlotPenniac Anti-Shale-Gas Organization

Quality of Life Initiative

Petitcodiac Watershed AllianceStanley Area Action Group

Sustainable Energy Group

Sierra Club AtlanticMaliseet Grand Council

Water and Environmental Protection for Albert County

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Copied to:

Chief Theresa Spence

Attawapiskat First Nation

Attawapiskat ON P0L 1A0(705) 997-1101 Fax: (705) 997-2116

Media release: [email protected]

Chief Shawn Atleo

National Chief

Assembly of First Nations

Trebla Building 473 Albert StreetOttawa, ON K1R 5B4

Tel: (613) 241-6789 Fax: (613) 241-5806

[email protected]

His Excellency the

Right Honourable David JohnsonGovernor General of Canada

Rideau Hall1 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A1

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: 613-998-8760

The Honourable John Duncan

Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and NorthernDevelopment Canada

Terrasses de la Chaudire10 Wellington, North TowerGatineau, Quebec

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 1-866-817-3977

The Honourable Robert Douglas Nicholson

Minister of Justice and Attorney General ofCanada

House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Email: [email protected]

The Honourable Thomas J. Mulcair

Leader of the Official OppositionHouse of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, 1A 0A6

Telephone: 613-995-7224

Fax: 613-995-4565

E-Mail:[email protected]

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The Honourable Bob Rae

House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6Email:[email protected]

Ms. Elizabeth MayHouse of Commons

518 Confederation Building

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6Phone: 613-996-1119

Fax: 613-996-0850

E-mail: [email protected]

Professor James Anaya

Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples

C/o OHCHR-UNOGOffice of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson

1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Fax: +41 22 917 90 06Email: [email protected]

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Documents

First Nations and Bill C- 45 Letter From Caucus and Allies