It's the object of our exercise today.
Coming back to our friends from the AFN, you said, Mr. Jones, something very close to the quote that I have here from Chief Atleo. He says, “To be clear, First Nations are not opposed to development but it must be responsible, sustainable and based on partnership.” I think your opening remarks were similar to that. That was from National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo.
I guess the only word I'd have a problem with is “sustainability”. Extractive projects may have a life of 30 years or so. The particular projects may not be sustainable. I'm not sure of the context in which he meant that word, because extractive projects are not eternal. They have a lifespan. In that context, how do we work out situations where there are differences of opinion on moving ahead with first nations, industry, and government? How do we work this out?
A particularly thorny problem that's surfaced in British Columbia--some may be nervous about me even bringing this up--is the new Prosperity Mine. We have an area of British Columbia that has been ravaged by the pine beetle. In fact, our B.C. caucus had a presentation just yesterday with the Canadian Space Agency. They showed pictures from RADARSAT. When it was going over B.C., you could see it from outer space, the red death of those pine trees. They will be decades recovering. While in the last couple of years the forest industry has been booming, harvesting pine beetle wood, which had to be harvested, there's going to be a dearth of economic activity for decades as that section of the economy recovers.
We're looking at this Prosperity Mine. I don't have the figures in front of me, but it has maybe a 30-year life, billions of dollars in economic revenue and opportunities for first nations employment. I don't know all the details, but I understand the company involved has been trying to negotiate with first nations, but there has been a standoff about partnership, working together, economic, educational, and moving ahead opportunities. AFN Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould says it's “hard to understand why CEAA did not reject the so-called New Prosperity Mine proposal, which is essentially one of the options in the first proposal that CEAA has already rejected”. She goes on to say that there “can only be one legitimate outcome of the second review process and that is rejection”.
So if we start with no as a beginning, how do we resolve issues like that, and is there a process? Is there going to be any hope of resolving this through process, without going to the Supreme Court?