It's the existing toxic regulatory environment that this government has put in place.
To counter you, I disagree completely with everything you just said. In the article about Chief Crey, it says, “The Cheam are one of the 43 First Nations that have mutual-benefit agreements with Trans Mountain—reportedly worth more than $300 million — that offer skills training for employment, business and procurement opportunities, and improvements to local infrastructure.” You, obviously, think that that's a bad thing.
Now, Chief Crey also likened the activists'—and I'm not going to call those people environmentalists because they're not—attack on economic development to the attack against the fur trade, the attack against the seal wars.
I want to read a bit of testimony here. I would like to read to you what happens when communities' economies are cut out from under them. This is from the September 2016 indigenous affairs committee when they were looking at indigenous suicides. One Peter Williamson, an Inuk from the Northwest Territories, wrote:
There was what we call the seal wars at the time, when Greenpeace and other environmental activist organizations who wanted to raise money started to attack the sealing industry, which Inuit were a part of. They really relied on seal hunting to make a living. I remember as a young person that there were a lot of people in my community....
Then he goes on to say, about traditional lifestyles, that the way you were brought up makes a difference.
We started losing that in the 1970s, and the 1980s too, but it started in the 1970s. Once that happened, more people did commit suicide.
It was mentioned in the House today that, in Alberta, suicide rates are increasing because of the strong decline in the oil and gas industry. Families are being threatened with economic disaster.
Does any of this resonate with you, Ms. Johnston, or does your organization—and I read on your website that you're very proudly supported...you're funded by Americans, funded by foreigners—
