House of Commons Hansard #20 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was wet'suwet'en.
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Madam Speaker, we can discuss some of the great ideas that all parties have and look forward to working together to put them into practice.
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Madam Speaker, I know the member has a background in indigenous and environmental law and I agree with much of what he said.
I want to pick up on his point about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We passed Bill C-262 two years ago. The government had an opportunity to act on and implement that bill and others since then, but it did not.
I wonder if the member can comment on how it might have changed the situation we are in now if the government were actually living up to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Madam Speaker, it is absolutely critical that we bring the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into Canadian law. We have committed to do it this year. We supported that in the last Parliament, but it died in the Senate.
When we look at environmental assessments of industrial projects as we are implementing the articles of UNDRIP, it creates new opportunities to work with first nations and give them an opportunity to participate in the decision-making in their territories. Those ideas have already been instilled in the new Impact Assessment Act. As we move forward and implement this, it will cause major changes in a lot of our federal laws. It is something that is long overdue.
Opposition Motion—Coastal GasLink ProjectBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Mount Royal Québec
Liberal
Anthony Housefather LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour
Madam Speaker, words have meaning. Words particularly have meaning when they are said in this House of Commons. Tone is important, particularly at a time when the country is facing this type of escalation.
There are people who are frustrated. There are many people in my riding who are frustrated, and I empathize deeply with each and every one of them: the commuters who are impacted because they are unable to take the train to Toronto; the small business that is unable to get supplies; those who are facing shortages and need to lay off workers; those workers who are being laid off, and their families; farmers who are having trouble getting goods to market; or those who are worried they may be short of propane or chlorine.
Canadians are worried, but our indigenous people are also worried and concerned. They are concerned that their voices are not being heard, concerned that their treaty rights are being violated, and concerned, in the case of the Wet'suwet'en, if we listen to the press conference that happened in British Columbia today, that the RCMP's police actions have not followed the rule of law. There have been many concerns expressed, and tempers are flaring. When tempers are flaring, calm is important: calm, measured words.
We have all been faced with what has recently happened with our neighbour to the south, in the United States, where some politicians on one side of the aisle have sought to blame identifiable groups for the problems that face society. Some people have blamed Mexicans. Some people have blamed immigrants and refugees. Some people have blamed Muslims. On the other side of the aisle, some people have blamed Wall Street. Some people have blamed millionaires and billionaires.
As we know, there are good people and bad people in every group. There are good millionaires and bad millionaires. There are good Jews and bad Jews, good Christians and bad Christians, and good Muslims and bad Muslims. Whether it is race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or political conviction, we have good people and bad people in every group. My biggest fear is that by using words that are inflammatory, words like “radical” or “anarchist”, we seek to inflame tensions where those tensions are already on the point of being inflamed.
Indigenous Canadians should not be vilified. Indigenous Canadians should not pay the price for illegal blockades. The vast majority of indigenous Canadians never asked for these blockades, and the vast majority of indigenous Canadians are not responsible for these blockades. I am worried that by using language that is inflammatory, we will cause Canadians who are already upset about their own issues and problems that have been caused by the illegal blockades to take it out on others.
I appeal to all of my colleagues. I heard the most eloquent statement the other day from the member for North Island—Powell River, who talked about her concern for her family members who she was afraid were being scapegoated. We have all recently seen, in the case of the coronavirus, how Chinese Canadians have been singled out. We, as members of Parliament, beyond anything else, have the duty to show all Canadians who are affected by this crisis that we empathize with them, that we understand the anguish they are going through and that we are seeking constructive solutions. The worst thing that we can do is inflame passions by using heated rhetoric and language.
It is totally important for us to recognize that negotiations do not happen in the public space.
As the Bloc Québécois leader has acknowledged in his questions over the past few days, we all know that the ministers are in negotiations with first nations on this matter. However, it would be impossible for these negotiations to take place in public.
We know that business owners and lawyers never release the details of their negotiations. That is just not possible.
As an MP, I am very pleased with my cabinet colleagues who are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to build ties with indigenous peoples and everyone who is protesting. I am confident that progress has been made.
Today the RCMP announced that it would leave the occupied road, the one the hereditary chiefs see as the greatest provocation. Progress is being made. We must continue to negotiate. However, we cannot publicly reveal the details of those negotiations.
It is easy to say that the ministers are doing nothing, but we all know that they are doing something, and that they have built relationships with various groups in order to negotiate. I firmly believe we will see concrete results.
I also want to point out two different things. The first is that policing is best left to those who have operational knowledge in the local sphere. We, as national politicians, do not know exactly what is happening at each blockade.
I am confident that the Sûreté du Québec knows how to do its job.
I trust that the Ontario Provincial Police know what they are doing. I trust that the RCMP know what they are doing, far more than I would know as one individual member of Parliament without all of the information about what is happening at every local site.
All police forces have their own protocols that they use to deal with situations like this one. In most cases, the use of force to remove protesters is something of a last resort, not a first resort. It is not something that could never be done or should never be done, but it should wait until all options of negotiation have been exhausted within a reasonable framework.
If people go in and remove protesters when we are talking about an issue as sensitive as this one, I believe the end result would be that a lot more people across Canada would want to create further blockades. The only practical way to fully resolve this issue is to deal with the core issue and achieve results.
However, Canadians cannot wait forever, and rightly so. We cannot be seized forever with illegal blockades that stop goods and services from getting across Canada, grain from getting to market and passengers from getting to where they are going. At a certain time, there is a point where patience will be exhausted. We have not come to that point, but it is rapidly approaching. I beg and plead with the hereditary chiefs and I beg and plead with those people who are blockading to recognize that two wrongs do not make a right. If something horrible has happened throughout history, if Canadians have violated the rights of indigenous people or have not respected those rights, it is not best to plead that cause by illegally blockading and stopping Canadians from going to work or going to their jobs.
Government has an obligation to listen and to dialogue, as do those who are causing the blockades. I hope that we will peacefully resolve this situation very shortly, because that is what all Canadians expect of us.
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Madam Speaker, one of the quotes we have is from hereditary chief Helen Michelle of the Skin Tyee Nation. She states, “A lot of the protestors are not even Wet’suwet’en.” She goes on to say, “Our people said go ahead to CoastalGasLink.”
If we go back to the actual motion for today, it says to “condemn the radical activists who are exploiting divisions within the Wet’suwet’en community, holding the Canadian economy hostage”.
What part of the motion that we have today speaks to all of the items that the member spoke of earlier?
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Madam Speaker, our common goal should be to end the blockades. When members of the House of Commons call people who are doing the blockades “radical activists”, including members of the Mohawk nation, it does not in any way further a solution or cause those people to want to dialogue with the members of the House of Commons who are calling them radical activists.
As I mentioned before, name-calling is not acceptable. There are good people and bad people in every group, and I would include the people doing the blockades. There are going to be good people and bad people. Some people are doing it for what they believe to be very good reasons, and others perhaps not.
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech.
You are an extraordinary orator. I am impressed, and I say that sincerely. It is not—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
I would ask the member to address his remarks to the Chair, not directly to the member.
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Madam Speaker, duly noted.
There are three points that I would like to come back to.
First, this crisis could have been avoided. It has gone on for far too long.
Next, we all know that negotiations are taking place. We know that various departments are working on this crisis. Now, indigenous peoples have made a request. They want to meet with the Prime Minister. They want to talk to the Prime Minister. That seems to be a must.
I am therefore disappointed. That is the second point I wanted to comment on, with respect to my colleague's speech.
The third point I will add is that this crisis is now two weeks old and there is a risk that things will escalate. We know this is a crisis. We also know how it began. Now, after two weeks, there is a good chance the conflict will escalate.
Those are my comments.
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his kind comments.
What I can say is that I trust we will do what is required to engage in dialogue and find a solution. I am certain that the Prime Minister of Canada will do everything he can to find a solution, as will the Minister of Indigenous Services and all those involved.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Madam Speaker, I share my colleague's perspective that this situation could have been avoided if the government had decided to not think that it could pick and choose when to support and recognize indigenous rights in this country. We cannot pick and choose when it comes recognizing inherent rights and respecting them.
Dr. Judith Sayers, whom I respect greatly, is the president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. She would like this question answered:
Do you really consider that dealing with rights and title should be based on a score card or how many First Nations say yes against those who say no? How can you lawfully override the Hereditary Chiefs title that was evidenced in the Supreme court of Canada Delgamuukw decision?
This is a question that she has, and I hope the parliamentary secretary can answer that question.
Opposition Motion—Coastal GasLink ProjectBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
February 20th, 2020 / 4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Madam Speaker, there is an elected council. The majority of the elected council supports the project. With respect to the hereditary chiefs, I acknowledge that outside the limited territory that the band council controls, there is power of the hereditary chiefs that has been recognized, and again there has to be negotiation with them. I am hoping that over the next couple of days that this negotiation will happen and that there will be a fortuitously good outcome.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
I want to remind members once again that when someone has the floor, should the member who asked the question, or anybody else, have anything to say, then he or she should wait and stand the next time there are questions and comments.
Order. It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Consular Affairs; the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable, Infrastructure; and the hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Privacy.
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Madam Speaker, it is an honour for me to speak today about the relationship our country has with our first nations peoples.
As a teacher for over 34 years, for 32 of those years, I proudly displayed a commemorative plaque from the Treaty Six Centennial celebrations that I attended at the Saddle Lake Reserve with Peter Lougheed, Bob Clark, the leader of the opposition, and Grant Notley. It was a very poignant opportunity for me to get a chance to see what was important to indigenous people. Engraved on the plaque are the words “For as long as the Sun shines, the Rivers flow and the Grass grows”, a reminder that is still proudly displayed in my office in Ottawa.
Additionally, I was proud to sit at the aboriginal affairs and northern development committee when we were in government and to pursue initiatives like matrimonial property rights and transparency legislation that was asked for by our first nations groups. These initiatives did not always sit well with some of the band leaders, but it did resonate with members.
When our government sought to improve the first nations education system, which would have included some of the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, I asked to once again sit at this committee. Sadly, that initiative, spearheaded by former grand chief Shawn Atleo, in conjunction with Prime Minister Harper, was shut down before it could take off. As a former teacher, I was truly disappointed.
From my experience as a teacher, I have seen the inequity, the gaps in learning and the unacceptable dropout rates. I shared the frustration that existed with our first nation parents who wanted more for their children. For, as Ts'im-shian author, Calvin Helin, had alluded to in his book, Dances with Dependency, the cycle of dependency was only broken when the bonds of colonialism were cut. He argued that the ancestors would not have accepted their children to live without hope and purpose, that they would have wanted their children to know of their culture and their heritage and that the ancestors would expect them to look after their community and ensure they lived proudly.
This is why I proudly stand in solidarity with every elected band council on the Coastal GasLink route and with every band council that chooses this land's natural wealth as its path forward for its people. The band councils understand that using Canadian oil and gas is not only more economically sensible for their membership, but also a humanitarian and environmentally friendly solution for the globe. This is also why I stand with the majority of the hereditary chiefs and the vast majority of the Wet'suwet'en people and why I condemn the radical activists that use issues like this to undermine opportunities for all Canadians.
Now we are faced with an interesting challenge, given the political climate in our country right now. Some people in Ottawa have a narrow focus on what it means to be good stewards of the environment. They think that the sum of a society's commitment to the environment is the amount of carbon they produce in Canada and what that source of carbon is. Very real and important conservation initiatives have been going on throughout Canada in the oil and gas sector that have simply been glossed over to fulfill their narrative.
Similarly, these activists' rationale for holding Canada's economy hostage is as varied as the foreign interests that fund them, whether it be investors in renewable energy or oil and gas interests that simply know they can buy up our resources cheaply in the future, reaping the benefits when the rest of the world's energy dries up. Believe me, none of this is in our nation's best interest.
Where are we now? For the past 15 days, the country has been held hostage and the government has done nothing. Our economy, our people and our security as Canadians are being held up by a protest movement that is disrespectful to the majority of our indigenous peoples' desire to give their children and grandchildren the opportunities they never had, and the Liberal government has done nothing.
The protests have temporarily stopped VIA Rail passenger trains as well as CN trains, cutting off routes between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Kingston, and the Liberal government has done nothing.
A variety of shipments, whether it be food, construction materials, lumber, aluminum, coal, propane, things that people need to survive, have been affected by the rail blockades and the Liberal government, once again, has done nothing.
CN rail announced the laying off of 450 workers in its operation in eastern Canada as a result of the blockades. What has the Liberal government done? Nothing. The government's inaction has led to a national crisis in Canada and it still will not act.
Canada's retailers and manufacturers are braced for shutdowns and face dwindling supplies as blockades at ports and on rail lines bring much of the country's rail freight network to a halt. CN rail's coast to coast system is at risk of shutting down.
As reported by CBC this morning, some of the members of the Wet'suwet'en people want the protesters to stop. Currently, the protests are not helping their communities, which they say already have fractured governance. These protests have amplified the conflict in the community and distracted Wet'suwet'en people from resolving their differences.
As I said before, the vast majority of these people support the Coastal GasLink project. Every elected band council on the Coastal GasLink route supports the project. Even the majority of hereditary chiefs support this project. The vast majority of first nations community members support the project because it will create jobs, opportunities, investments in communities and in the end, it will help reduce global greenhouse emissions.
Democracy and the rule of law are fundamental pillars of our country and it is time they are enforced. Our democratic values ensure that every person has the right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest, but people do not have the right to harm the security and livelihood of other Canadians.
The Prime Minister needs to denounce the illegal actions of the radical activists and formulate an action plan that will put an end to the blockages, ensure that the support for this project expressed by the vast majority of the Wet'suwet'en people is upheld and get our economy back on track. If he does not, the Liberal government will be setting a dangerous precedent that the civil unrest of a few can have a devastating impact on the lives of countless Canadians and that the government is not willing to enforce the law to protect Canadians.
Additionally, counter-protesters have started rising up to voice their dissatisfaction with the current situation. With these heightened tensions, leaving things as they are now is irresponsible.
The impact is also being felt beyond Canada's borders and is harming the country's reputation as a stable and viable supply chain partner.
These groups are emboldened and will continue to create havoc as the inaction tells all activists they can have a devastating impact on the lives of countless Canadians and the government is not willing to enforce the law to protect those Canadians.
As was evident in the Vice-Admiral Mark Norman case, the shameful treatment of the former attorney general, ethics violations and so many other transgressions, the government's opinion of right and wrong is truly suspect.
I urge the government to work night and day to resolve this issue, because to give opportunities for indigenous people to share in our world-class resource development is the right thing. Now is the time to act.
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Madam Speaker, the member mentioned several times that our government had done nothing in the face of the accelerated tensions we were facing as a country. I wonder whether the hon. member is aware that our Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and our Minister of Indigenous Services are both meeting with indigenous peoples on the west coast and in Ontario and that we are trying to come to a peaceful resolution through discussion and dialogue rather than inflamed rhetoric.
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Madam Speaker, I should also mention at this point that I would like to split my time the member for Brandon—Souris.
Because of the force and the pressure of things we have been talking about now for the last 15 days, there indeed is an opportunity now for some dialogue. It is unfortunate that it has had to come to this, as we have talked about this for well over two weeks. We have seen the damage and destruction. We can add to that some of the other concerns we have had with regard to trade disruptions and issues there. All those kinds of concerns have a cascading effect.
I am involved in industry and agriculture. We have seen the effects that have taken place there, which are major concerns.
Yes, it is good to see that finally something is happening, but it did not have to take this long, with millions of dollars of damage happening every day. It should have been dealt with earlier.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Madam Speaker, we share the member's concern about the jobs and livelihoods of people who are affected by this rail stoppage and the blockade happening throughout our country. However, we need a real solution, not escalation, but de-escalation. I hope the member will agree with me that tough talk and a militarized approach will not resolve this issue. We are hearing now that the RCMP is considering pulling back and removing itself from the Wet'suwet'en territory.
Does the member agree that this is the right approach, that dialogue and taking a peaceful approach is the only solution to resolving this issue, and that a strong-armed approach will only escalate the situation and create more unrest across our country?
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Madam Speaker, as was mentioned earlier to another hon. member's question, we are starting to see things happen. I suppose the key thing I want to express is that it should have happened a lot sooner.
If we simply sit back and say that this will not affect anyone, we will have those who will just as soon have a little discontent so they can move forward with their our own anti-oil plans. That is what I see when I look at this. It is an opportunity for them look at all this destruction and perhaps think this project should be postponed. What about the next project? We sure would not want to have these same difficulties.
It is sort of an escalation of everything we see and we all should be concerned about that.
Denis Trudel Bloc Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his wonderful speech.
Canada is certainly in the midst of a serious crisis. The economy is paralyzed in my riding and across the entire Montérégie region. If the blockades are not lifted soon, there will be some serious consequences.
There is the crisis with indigenous peoples, but there is also the climate crisis. We have the Wet'suwet'en, but we also have the natural gas pipeline, which the Bloc Québécois also opposes because half of Quebeckers voted for a party that wants to seriously tackle climate change.
From what I gather from my Conservative Party colleagues, they are not too concerned about first nations, but they certainly are concerned about the development of the oil industry. Do people realize that time is running out to address climate change all around the world?
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Madam Speaker, as I mentioned earlier in my speech, we are concerned about first nations. I am personally involved with first nations and I am concerned.
As far as the environment is concerned, we should recognize that if we were able to move our liquid natural gas, which will be one of the key replacements for coal around the world, we will need to be the leaders. We will be the ones who will be able to displace the coal in places like China and India. However, the only way that can happen is if we can get it to ports. That is the problem I have with my good friends from the Bloc. I know that is not a problem for people from Quebec, but the people from the Bloc, unfortunately, think “Let's shut it down”. I do not know where they think the rest of this energy will come from. It certainly will not come from countries that will benefit our country.
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Madam Speaker, never have we seen so much economic damage done by so few people in such a short period of time. In the absence of leadership, our nation is paying a heavy price. The worker, the farmer, the small-business owner, the traveller, the voter and Canada's reputation on the world stage are the victims that lay in the wake of this calamity, the blockades holding our Canadian economy hostage. The politicians who refuse to denounce the illegal actions of those who seek to intimidate our nation have only further emboldened the protesters' resolve with their silence.
Canada's job and our economy are at risk. Grain cannot be moved, products cannot be shipped and passengers are left without a train. Those are the consequences when the rule of law is shelved and the democratic will of voters is ignored.
I stand in solidarity with every elected band council on the Coastal GasLink route, for it is the people they represent who are being silenced by those who cover their faces and partake in illegal activities. In a democracy it is the votes that count, not the decibels or hijinks of those who do not get their way.
We must ask ourselves if we are not setting a precedent by allowing the illegal actions to carry on. If people resort to illegal activities when they are opposed to a decision, are we not at risk of making decisions based out of fear? As elected officials, the only fear we should heed is that of a ballot box, not a handful of people who operate outside the bounds of the law.
In Parliament, the very place that has for generations been the heart of democracy, we have the shared responsibility to defend the democratic will of the Wet'suwet'en voters and elected band councils. No one in the House was elected to cherry-pick the laws of the nation that we expect to be enforced. If one wants to change the law, then table it, debate it and vote on it. That is how Canadian democracy works.
It was indigenous voters who voted freely to select their leaders, and they are now being shunted aside. There is not a member in the House who has questioned the validity of those elections and those who hold office. We must stand in solidarity and defend the democratic will of the Wet'suwet'en people. We can never waver, for if we turn our backs now we have only given credibility to those who are openly and willingly breaking the law.
In Canada, when we oppose the decisions of our elected leaders we have the democratic right to replace them. In those elections, the charter protects the right to protest and speak freely without repercussions. However, we do not have the right to partake in illegal activities.
The appalling behaviour of some, such as the barricading of the premier of British Columbia's home, is not acceptable. Using intimidation tactics and bullying fellow Canadians is not democratic. Preventing people from going to work is not, and should never be, acceptable in Canada. However noble they feel their cause is, it does not absolve them from the law.
As elected officials, we must continue to guarantee the very rights these protesters hold dear: the freedom of conscience, the freedom of thought, the freedom of expression, the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of association. The pillars that protect these rights, all our rights, are built on the foundation that Canada is a nation of the rule of law. Unfortunately, it appears as though these protesters are only interested in respecting the rule of law when the courts side in their favour. This is not how a functioning democracy works. The rule of law must go both ways.
To those who are currently blocking roads, highways, ports and railways and infringing the rights of ordinary hard-working Canadians, I ask that they think for a moment of the suffering they have caused. People have been laid off, paycheques have stopped and orders have been cancelled. Families who work hard, play by the rules and pay their taxes are the ones feeling the brunt of these blockades. Farmers cannot fill grain orders and cannot get paid. Countries around the world are now looking at Canada as an unreliable supplier. The consequences of these illegal blockades will do irreparable harm. Canadians cannot be held in economic hostage or be used as a bargaining chip.
While our nation is far from perfect and election results may not go one's way, we must remain committed to the very principles that have protected our rights throughout the years. To those who try to justify the illegal blockades, no argument could persuade or convince me they are just. Not only is Coastal GasLink in possession of a valid environmental assessment certificate and permit from the BC Oil & Gas Commission, but the project is supported by every elected indigenous band along the pipeline's path.
It must also be said that most hereditary chiefs along the pipeline's path are also in support of this, and the vast majority of first nations community members themselves support this project because it would create jobs. It would create opportunities. It would improve the livelihoods of many. It would lead to investments in local communities. It would help, as my colleague just finished saying, reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
While environmental organizations and indigenous groups opposed to resource development opportunities often turn to the courts to delay and prevent resource development, they must also respect the decisions of the courts. They must allow these economic opportunities to proceed. The democratic will of the Wet'suwet'en people cannot be ignored.
The process of approving this project was done accordingly. There is no legal argument that this project should not proceed. I encourage these protestors to continue to make their voices heard, but to do it in a way that does not impede upon innocent bystanders, who are being hurt through no fault of their own.
My message to those currently engaged in the blockades is to get politically involved, run for office and get elected, go out and knock on doors, organize petitions, protest and march as they see fit. However, they should not hold the Canadian economy hostage to advance their cause and should not purport to speak for people who have not given their blessing. Most of all, they should not hurt their fellow Canadians, who are being targeted through these blockades.
It must be said that opposing these illegal blockades does not contravene the reconciliation efforts throughout the country. It is the easily foreseeable consequence of ignoring a court order. More than ever, we need to better improve the economic and education opportunities of indigenous people in Canada. Those conversations must happen.
In this Parliament I expect solutions to be discussed and meaningful engagement with indigenous Canadians to occur. Improving the standard of living and the quality of life of indigenous Canadians must be a top priority. We know those conversations are not always going to be easy. People will agree or disagree, which is to be expected in a robust democracy.
We also know that in the weeks and months ahead, there will be other choices that elected leaders will have to make on resource projects. We cannot let our economy be brought to a halt every time a decision needs to be made or is made. We cannot set the precedent that it is acceptable to erect blockades in response to decisions that people disagree with.
Canadians sent us to Parliament to speak on their behalf and work together to implement solutions to the challenges we face. Those are the same reasons why the Wet'suwet'en voters went to the polls to elect their councils. It is irresponsible for us to turn our backs on these duly elected councils. A decision was made, and regardless of whether we support or oppose their wishes, we cannot condone the actions of people who are exploiting divisions within the Wet'suwet'en community to advance their own agendas.
This is a difficult and challenging issue. I implore those who are currently engaged in the illegal blockades to relent and allow the movement of people and goods. They can protest, make their voices heard and stay involved, but they should do so within the bounds of the law.
The country is watching and, more than ever, people are looking for leadership. Let us speak as one and pass the motion with unanimous support.
Opposition Motion—Coastal GasLink ProjectBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Winnipeg North Manitoba
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to simplify the issue. If we listen to their leader, in essence they are saying that the rule of law does not matter and the RCMP should be instructed to go in and take down the blockades. They would have liked to see that take place two weeks ago.
Had the Conservative leader had his way, does my friend across the way believe there would have been no consequence, that all the RCMP had to do was just walk in and arrest as many people as they could to prevent the blockade? Is that what the Conservative Party believes?
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Madam Speaker, my colleague across the way asked if Conservatives think there are simple solutions. His government has made a very complex move by saying that we need dialogue. Of course we need dialogue; of course we need to have open conversations. I said that in my speech. We will have that, but people cannot break the law to get their points across. It does not matter what part of Canada one is represented in.
The government has abdicated its responsibilities with regard to the enforcement opportunities it has within the rule of law in this country. This situation has taken place in other jurisdictions, and previous governments, although not this one, have made changes to deal with these sorts of things in a more timely manner, before letting the whole country come under a blockade that brings the economy not to a halt but a standstill. It has certainly cost many jobs. We saw today that even VIA Rail has laid off over 1,000 people in the railroad system. It seems that the member for Winnipeg North does not acknowledge any of that.