Vaughn Palmer: Horgan's pipeline patience running out, refuses to cave to 'minority'
Credit to Author: Stephen Snelgrove| Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 01:57:11 +0000
VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan displayed signs of frustration and a flash or two of anger Thursday during his weekly media conference with members of the legislative press gallery.
This being budget week, he would normally have fielded questions about taxes, spending and the NDP’s struggle to keep the books in balance.
Instead, pretty much all the questions were about protests, blockades and the continuing standoff over the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
Horgan spoke to reporters later in the morning, before a scheduled conference call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other first ministers.
He hoped that exchange will move things along: “There are moments I believe in our confederation where what we require is unanimity of purpose. … And I believe we’re there today. We’ll see what the PM brings to the table.”
But the B.C. premier didn’t minimize the challenge of establishing “a common understanding” of the complexities in this province, while the national economy hangs in the balance.
“Other premiers needed to be brought up to speed on what the problem is here,” said Horgan, adding in a knowing aside, “I well imagine many BCers feel the same way.
“When they see protests that are unlawful, they would expect that there would be some reason for that, and they don’t understand how elected band councils could have said yes and other hereditary leaders have said no.”
Horgan continued to hold out hope for talks to resolve the standoff between the elected leaders and some hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en who support the project and the handful of hereditary chiefs opposed.
B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations Scott Fraser and his federal counterpart, Carolyn Bennett, have twice written to the Wet’suwet’en leadership seeking a face-to-face meeting.
But as Horgan conceded, there has so far been no response to either invitation. Why was it so difficult to get a response?
“Communications have to be two-way and I think our communications efforts have been public record,” he replied. “The better (approach) would be to those who are representing the interests of hereditary leadership to respond to that question.”
One of the hereditary leaders, Namoks (who also goes by the name John Ridsdale) has said there will be no meeting until both the RCMP and the pipeline workforce depart from his territory.
The premier acknowledged a precedent for the RCMP standing down to be replaced with Indigenous security staff. But a partial or complete pullout by Coastal GasLink is a non starter.
“That’s not an option for me, no,” replied Horgan, continuing to stand by the provincial permits that authorized the project and the B.C. Supreme Court injunction that backs them up.
Horgan recalled a frosty exchange with Namoks during a tour of Northern B.C. last month.
In the premier’s account, “Namoks demanded that I present myself” for a meeting. Horgan said his schedule was fixed in advance but offered to talk by phone to set up a meeting at some future date.
“He refused to take the phone call,” said Horgan. “I’m not going to accept responsibility for the decisions that the hereditary leaders are taking (or) for the positions they’re adopting. I do accept responsibility, as head of the government of B.C. that I stand ready to work with the hereditary leadership to find a peaceful resolution to this issue.”
Would he now meet with Namoks and the other hereditary leaders if that were part of a solution to the standoff?
“If there was a prospect of a positive outcome, of course,” replied Horgan.
But he emphasized he would have conditions of his own for any face to face meeting with Namoks and the other hereditary chiefs.
“The notion that it would just be, somehow, you have to come and talk to me without any understanding of what the end of that discussion would be — I’m not prepared to do that,” said Horgan.
He may suspect that in demanding a meeting with the premier, Namoks is mainly looking to burnish his prestige among the minority of Wet’suwet’en people who support his opposition to the pipeline.
Horgan is right not to play into such a strategy. But that’s a long way from saying he sees an end in sight to this standoff. At most he hopes Ottawa can help.
Meanwhile, the premier vowed to go on working with the many First Nations that are prepared to partner with his government.
“I have no shortage of other nations, first of all, within B.C. that have exciting opportunities. And they want to work with the province, and the federal government, and their local communities to find the prosperity that we all want for ourselves and our neighbours — I’m going to focus on those.”
He bristled at the accusation, levelled recently by a retired treaty negotiator, that the B.C. government was shopping around for First Nations that support its agenda.
“I find that offensive, quite frankly,” replied Horgan. Far from picking and choosing among First Nations, he noted that in their 2½ years in office, the New Democrats have incorporated broad-brush commitments to all Indigenous people in every ministry and program of government.
By any fair measure, he has a point. But the fallout from the pipeline threatens to overwhelm his good intentions toward Indigenous people.
Just as the premier’s own patience is running out, I expect many members of the public would say the same.
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