Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise and address the House on this important emergency debate this evening. The situation surrounding the Wet'suwet'en blockades has spiralled out of control.
The Liberal government has demonstrated, through its inaction on this issue and its refusal to meet with the Wet'suwet'en people on the opening days of this crisis, that the pursuit of the UN Security Council seat is more important than the safety of Canadians. Its procrastination has caused this crisis to inflame and spread across Canada.
Just today, a group of radicals went to the house of B.C. Premier Horgan with the intent of placing him under citizen's arrest. The premier of a province in this great country is having radicals approach his house. That is absolutely wrong.
These small groups of protesters continue their illegal blockades at railway and border crossings around the country. As I have said before, many of these protesters have no connection to this country. They have their agenda and they want to enforce it, even if the people they pretend to advocate for do not want it.
Wet'suwet'en people have highlighted in the media how many of these protesters are not from the region or the community or, as I said, even our country. Siding with a small group of activists because they happen to align with one's views, and insisting that the RCMP enforce these views against the will of the majority of the Wet'suwet'en people, contradicts the spirit of reconciliation.
Hereditary chief Helen Michelle of Skin Tyee First Nation of the Wet'suwet'en has stated that “A lot of the protesters are not even Wet’suwet’en”. She said that the Wet'suwet'en talked to the elders and kept bringing them back, and they walked the territory where the Coastal GasLink is going. She added, “Our people said go ahead” to Coastal GasLink.
Hereditary Chief Theresa Tait-Day of Wet'suwet'en Nation said, “In the case of #CoastalGasLink, 85% of our people said yes they want this project.”
Chief Larry Nooski, of the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation, said:
#CoastalGasLink represents a once in a generation economic development opportunity.... We negotiated hard to guarantee that Nadleh people, including youth, have the opportunity to benefit directly and indirectly from the project, while at the same time, ensuring that the land and the water is protected....
The vast majority of members of the Wet'suwet'en people support the Coastal GasLink project. Every single band council on the Coastal GasLink route supports this project. Even the majority of hereditary chiefs support this project. The vast majority of first nations community members themselves support this project because of the massive benefits to their nation. A minority imposing its will on the majority is causing this problem.
The democratically elected leadership of the Wet'suwet'en, who not only represent the people of the community but also the hereditary leaders, have signed off on this project. Why? It is because it is good for their community. It provides economic benefits, it will lift people out of poverty and it will provide the next generation of Wet'suwet'en with the resources to not only improve their own lives, but to build a strong, independent nation within Canada.
Before I continue, I would like to mention that I am splitting my time with my friend from Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.
A B.C. judge issued an injunction saying protesters could not block Coastal GasLink from accessing the work site. Under Canada's Constitution, the duty to consult with impacted indigenous communities is clear and it has been upheld by numerous court decisions. One may not always agree with the decision, but one must respect it. That is the rule of law.
Canadian veterans, both non-indigenous and indigenous, fought for the rule of law, not tyranny. In fact, 200 indigenous Canadians died for Canada in military service, and they did not even have the right to vote. It is shameful that it was not until 1960 that they won that right. The rule of law, and freedoms of expression and peaceful protest are hard-fought rights.
Many indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians peacefully protested for those rights, with some even taking their seats in this very place. Indigenous peoples have fought too long and too hard in this country to ensure that their views are heard. We need to honour that. It is not to diminish the spirit of those peaceful activists by allowing a small group of radicals to derail the reconciliation process.
While we might not always agree on the policy, we must always agree to sit down and talk. The Prime Minister failed to do that, and we are now faced with the crisis before us. While the rule of law must be upheld, there must be a fair and transparent engagement process for any proposed natural resource projects in Canada.
The National Energy Board concluded that the project is fully within the jurisdiction of the B.C. government, through which the proponents received approval to proceed after undergoing extensive regulatory and environmental reviews.
The fact remains that consultations were conducted, and the majority of the Wet'suwet'en people support the project and believe it will benefit their community.
While we appreciate the right of individuals to protest peacefully, we urge all groups to do so in a safe and responsible manner. The transport minister confirmed that railway crossings have been tampered with, specifically the lights that indicate a train is coming.
I am from a rural riding. Many children in countless rural communities across the country cross railway crossings to and from school every day. Putting the lives of these children at risk is unacceptable.
The actions of these people are criminal, and Canadians expect the police to put an end to that. It has been 13 days. Just this weekend the government decided to sit down and meet with first nations leaders to open dialogue on this crisis, a crisis that could have been diverted if the government's talk on reconciliation was not just rhetoric.
While this country was being held hostage by anti-energy activists, the Prime Minister felt his time was better spent hugging the Iranian foreign affairs minister, whose country admitted to shooting down Flight 752, killing 63 Canadians. He felt his time was better spent schmoozing with dictators and human rights violators to woo them to get a vote for a frankly useless seat at the UN, rather than safeguarding Canadians and protecting the economy of Canada.
Our veterans fought for our right to protest. It is enshrined in the highest law of our land. Everybody in this country, whether they live here or are from another country, has the right to freedom of speech and the freedom to protest, regardless of how much we agree or disagree.
What they do not have the right to do is shut down our railways and ports. They do not have the right to block honest Canadians from getting to and from work. They do not have the right to block small businesses and farmers from getting their goods to market. They do not have the right to put the lives of Canadians at risk.
Let me be clear. Legitimate concerns are being expressed by people at these protests and by indigenous people. They need to be heard. There needs to be dialogue, and there needs to be reconciliation.
My role as shadow minister for Crown-indigenous relations is to work with my colleagues across the way and indigenous leaders from communities around the country to effect real and positive change.
However, we cannot allow a small group of radical protesters, who have no real vested interest in reconciliation and who the Prime Minister has placed on the same tier as the countless men and women in first nations communities who have fought in good faith to right the wrongs of Canadian history, to do a disservice to the spirit of reconciliation.
Therefore, we have requested the Prime Minister do a number of things, including come up with a plan forward. We are still waiting for that. We heard words from the Prime Minister that were just words. There is still no plan. The situation has continued over a long period of time. The government acts surprised that we have come to this point, yet burying its head in the sand is exactly how we got to this point.
We heard from the minister, who basically blamed anyone who had a differing opinion from him. That is not part of working together.
I welcome questions from my colleagues across the way. Hopefully, we will find a peaceful solution to the situation.