XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
   XPost: van.general   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   Delays by First Nations groups could kill development plans, minister says   
      
   . . . .    Because the re-elected Premier of BC sure has done a 180 on   
   the pipeline going through BC to waiting Chinese tankers.   
   _____________________________________________   
      
   September 25, 2013 - Globe and Mail   
      
      
   Delays by First Nations groups could kill development plans, minister says   
      
   Joe Oliver pushes for a quick resolution to issues native leaders have   
   with province's energy projects   
      
   Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, whose government is pushing hard   
   this fall to get support from First Nations, said he is worried   
   opportunities for "billions of dollars" of development could be lost if   
   agreements cannot be struck in a timely way with aboriginal leaders.   
      
   "There is a tremendous amount of competition – and these opportunities   
   do not stay forever," Mr. Oliver cautioned in an interview as five   
   deputy ministers from Ottawa met with native leaders in Vancouver in an   
   effort to forge a new relationship with First Nations.   
      
   The push is coming because two major oil pipelines worth a combined   
   $12-billion and six liquefied natural gas projects with a total value of   
   $35-billion are proposed in British Columbia. But there is also   
   considerable resistance to some of those projects, most notably the   
   proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, which First Nations say   
   cannot proceed. All of the projects are in native territories and few   
   bands in B.C. have signed treaties with the government, which leaves   
   them in a powerful bargaining position.   
      
   Opposition leader Tom Mulcair, who was also in B.C. on Tuesday meeting   
   native leaders, dismissed the government initiative, saying Mr. Oliver   
   is using "coded language" to suggest his government is willing to   
   listen, while paving the way for energy developments by declaring they   
   are in the national interest.   
      
   "But you can't push through big projects unless you respect Canadian   
   law. And Canadian law ... requires consultation with First Nations, and   
   that doesn't include sending Joe Oliver out with his index finger   
   wagging," Mr. Mulcair said.   
      
   Mr. Mulcair said court rulings have made it clear that governments need   
   to engage in "meaningful consultation" with First Nations before   
   allowing resource developments on their traditional territory.   
      
   Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said that   
   means officials from Ottawa will have to "go out into the communities   
   along the pipeline routes" and not just meet with chiefs in a Vancouver   
   boardroom.   
      
   He speculated that Douglas Eyford, a B.C. lawyer Prime Minister Stephen   
   Harper recently appointed as his energy adviser, has told officials in   
   Ottawa that proceeding on the energy projects without First Nations   
   approval would be difficult.   
      
   "That's my sense. They look very grim sitting across the table from us,"   
   Mr. Phillip said.   
      
   He dismissed Mr. Oliver's concerns about delays, saying the federal   
   government has slowed the process by "ignoring" First Nations interests   
   in B.C. for the past three years.   
      
   "His sense of urgency is self-imposed," Mr. Phillip said.   
      
   But Mr. Oliver said it is important to recognize that even mega-projects   
   such as the $16-billion Mackenzie Valley pipeline proposal can falter   
   with too much delay.   
      
   The Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline was proposed in the 1970s, but stalled   
   after a federal inquiry raised concerns about a lack of treaties in the   
   region. The project was revived in 2004 with native support, and in 2011   
   it got cabinet approval – but declining gas prices halted development.   
      
   "I am concerned [about a repeat in B.C.] and that's why we are working   
   so hard to move the agenda forward," Mr. Oliver said. "We don't want a   
   lost generation. We want all this opportunity to be realized as quickly   
   as possible."   
      
   Mr. Oliver said his government has identified energy-market   
   diversification as a strategic national objective, but insisted Ottawa   
   is not endorsing any specific project and will wait for the regulatory   
   process to play out before making any decisions.   
      
   "I'm not forecasting anything specific here," he said. " But I just have   
   to believe that with so much potential benefit, and with a strong desire   
   on the part of the [native] leadership to do the best for their   
   communities, we're going to be able to get something done."   
      
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