January 03, 2013
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Email: [email protected]">[email protected];
Fax: 613-941-6900
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
We are a diverse group of community committees and organizations representing many thousands of New Brunswickers who are actively concerned about the quality of their environment. We are writing you today to express our alarm concerning the direction that you have taken Canada with respect to recent legislation impacting our Aboriginal brothers and sisters.
Bill C-45 has become the latest focus of Aboriginal discontent. The Idle No More protests sweeping our nation and the Chief Theresa Spence hunger strike attest to the level of anger and frustration felt not only by First Nations people but by many other Canadians as well. We agree with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters that much of the legislation in Bill C-45 will repress Aboriginal rights, remove environmental protections and thereby facilitate the irresponsible exploitation of Canada’s natural resources. We would argue that the Bill C-45 legislative process lacked the required “meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples on issues that concern them” as supported by the Supreme Court of Canada. We would also argue that the process circumvented Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which Canada has endorsed and which provides that
States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislation or administrative measures that may affect them.
We sincerely hope that your government will endeavour to make new attempts at meaningful consultation and new attempts to cooperate in good faith with our Aboriginal population.
Given the grave circumstances and great potential for irreparable harm to First Nations people and their way of life as a consequence of this legislation, we request that you consult with First Nations leadership, including traditional leadership, and rescind those objectionable policies that will be enacted by Bill C-45. We also strongly urge you meet with Chief Theresa Spence and all Aboriginal leadership and embark on a policy of inclusion, reconciliation and renewal of our First Nations communities.
Otherwise we strongly believe that we will have missed a very important opportunity to address past injustices and abuses and failed to ensure the healthy physical and spiritual environments that our First Nations people require to survive and thrive peacefully in Canada.
Sincerely,
Citizens Coalition for Clean Air
Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis
Conservation Council of New Brunswick
Corn Hill and Area Residents Association
Council of Canadians – Fredericton Chapter
Council of Canadians – Saint John Chapter
Friends of Mount Carleton
Hampton Water First
Harvey Environmental Action Team
Memramcook Action
New Brunswickers Against Fracking
Parents Against Everyday Poisions
Taymouth Community Association
Tantramar Alliance Against Hydrofracking
Notre Environnement, Notre Choix
Upriver Environment Watch
Upper Miramichi Stewardship Alliance
Darlings Island Fracking Intervention Naguwigewauk
Friends of UNB Woodlot
Penniac Anti-Shale-Gas Organization
Quality of Life Initiative
Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance
Stanley Area Action Group
Sustainable Energy Group
Sierra Club Atlantic
Maliseet Grand Council
Water and Environmental Protection for Albert County
Copied to:
Chief Theresa Spence
Attawapiskat First Nation
Attawapiskat ON P0L 1A0
(705) 997-1101 Fax: (705) 997-2116
Media release: [email protected]">[email protected]
Chief Shawn Atleo
National Chief
Assembly of First Nations
Trebla Building 473 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1R 5B4
Tel: (613) 241-6789 Fax: (613) 241-5806
[email protected]">[email protected]
His Excellency the
Right Honourable David Johnson
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A1
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 613-998-8760
The Honourable John Duncan
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development Canada
Terrasses de la Chaudière
10 Wellington, North Tower
Gatineau, Quebec
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
The Honourable Robert Douglas Nicholson
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of
Canada
House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Email: [email protected]">[email protected]
The Honourable Thomas J. Mulcair
Leader of the Official Opposition
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, 1A 0A6
Telephone: 613-995-7224
Fax: 613-995-4565
E-Mail: [email protected]">[email protected]
The Honourable Bob Rae
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Email: [email protected]">[email protected]
Ms. Elizabeth May
House of Commons
518 Confederation Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: 613-996-1119
Fax: 613-996-0850
E-mail: [email protected]">[email protected]
Professor James Anaya
Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais Wilson
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: +41 – 22 917 90 06
Email: [email protected]">[email protected]
