Global Courant 2023-04-12 01:30:39
Conservative leader Pierre Poilièvre and three Western prime ministers are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to disengage his government from comments made by his justice minister — who vowed last week to “look” at a decades-old law that gives control of natural resources to the four western provinces.
“The federal government cannot unilaterally change the constitution,” the premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba said in a joint statement Tuesday. “It shouldn’t even consider doing away with resource rights from the three Prairie counties.
“The Prime Minister must immediately withdraw these dangerous and divisive remarks from his Justice Minister.”
Opposition leader Pierre Poilièvre accused Justice Minister David Lametti of threatening to overthrow the constitution and take federal control of provincial resources.
“I will never allow this precious coalition attack on our Prairie resource workers,” Poilièvre tweeted. “I will give Westerners control over their resources and lives.”
The controversy was fueled by comments made by Lametti on April 5 at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations.
‘It will not be undisputed’
Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte of the Prince Albert Grand Council and Chief Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte called on the federal government to repeal the Natural Resources Transfer Act—legislation passed by the federal government and counties in 1930 that the administration of natural resources from Ottawa to the four western counties.
“Canada exports natural resources to other countries. They make trillions of dollars in revenue from those resources,” Maracle said. “Those resources were given to the provinces without ever asking an Indian if it was right to do so, or what benefits the First Nations would expect if Canada agreed to that arrangement.”
Lametti acknowledged the leaders’ comments.
“Obviously I can’t comment on that at the moment, but I commit to looking into it,” he told the AFN. “It won’t go unchallenged is all I’d say, with a bit of a smile.”
Saskatchewan Prime Minister Scott Moe called Lametti’s comment “dangerous and divisive”. (Michael Bell/The Canadian Press)
That turned out to be an understatement. Saskatchewan Prime Minister Scott Moe described Lametti’s comment as “dangerous and divisive” on Monday.
“On what basis does the federal attorney general think he has the authority to unilaterally deprive Saskatchewan and the other western provinces of our constitutional authority over our natural resources?” he said in a tweet.
“Saskatchewan has always had reason to be concerned about this federal government’s agenda to violate provincial jurisdiction and autonomy, and we will relentlessly defend our jurisdiction and autonomy.
“The prime minister should immediately tell his justice minister not to even speculate on revoking the constitutional authority of the western provinces to control our natural resources.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson described Lametti’s comments as “unnecessary provocation”.
“Reckless comments by the Federal Attorney General that threaten Manitoba’s control of natural resources must be rescinded immediately,” Stefanson tweeted Tuesday.
“The recent suggestion that the federal government will look into repealing constitutional natural resource transfer agreements dating from the 1930s with Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta is another example of divisive contempt for the Prairie Provinces.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said any change to natural resource rules would jeopardize national unity. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called on Lametti to withdraw his remarks and apologize.
“Just received word that the Federal Attorney General will seek to rescind the 1930 Natural Resource Transfer Agreement with the Prairie Provinces,” Smith tweeted Monday. “This would pose an unprecedented risk to national unity and Alberta condemns this federal threat in the strongest terms.”
Lametti was not available for an interview on Tuesday. In a statement released on Twitter Monday to clarify his comments, he said part of his job is to listen to the concerns of First Nations chiefs.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have at no time required our government to review areas of provincial jurisdiction, including those over natural resources,” he wrote. “The focus of our government’s work is to develop an action plan with Indigenous partners that will show the path we need to take to align federal laws and policies with UNDRIP (the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of indigenous peoples).”
Lametti’s tweet did little to reassure conservative Saskatchewan lawmakers, who pledged to protect the province’s control of natural resources.
“Developing our oil, gas and minerals is hard enough with the Liberal government’s regulations designed to stifle projects and Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax driving up costs in Canada,” 15 MPs said in a statement. joint statement. “Imagine how much worse it would be if the Trudeau liberals took direct control of resource development.”
The MPs called on NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to say he would not support such moves.
NDP natural resources critic Charlie Angus called on all sides to work together.
“We must all work together to ensure that indigenous communities can benefit and make decisions about potential natural resource projects on their land,” Angus said in a media statement. “This means that both federal and provincial governments are required to consult properly, build strong economic partnerships and set high standards for protecting the environment of traditional lands. That is how we move forward as a nation. “
The Assembly of First Nations has not yet responded to requests for comment from CBC News.
