Minister Coleman’s stance on First Nations consultation
As the showdown between the two sides of the Prosperity mine continues, I found it interesting to hear Minister Coleman speaking on Voice of BC about the issue. I have been advocating for a different type of relationship between Taseko and First Nations for awhile now, and it seems that the Minister is cribbing from my playbook! He’s more than welcome to do so, and I hope that this signals that the government will take the concerns of the Tsilhqot’in more seriously. Here’s the transcript:
Voice of BC, June 2, 2011 Topic: Why Revisit the Prosperity Mine?
Bill Tieleman: “Minister, Premier Christy Clark says the number one priority for your government in dealing with the federal government is to have reversed the rejection of the Prosperity Mine in the Cariboo, which was rejected because it would be environmentally devastating. How do you justify that sort of a change after the federal government, under Stephen Harper, said it was too environmentally damaging?”
RICH COLEMAN: Well, there’s a number of aspects here. First of all, before anything happens with Prosperity Mine, I think we have to build a strong relationship with the Tsilhqot’in, the first nations. I’ve had a number of meetings with them about their other issues up there — power; they have a mill that they’d like to have bioenergy with. I’ll be meeting with them tomorrow, actually, because I think we have some good news on some of those fronts for them. They are very passionate, some of their chiefs, about Fish Lake. If you have to sit in the room and listen to that and understand it, and you have to build a relationship there. I think, quite frankly, the proponent here didn’t do a great job of that, to be honest with you. I think the sensitivity…. I mean, I dealt with the Tsilhqot’in when I was the Forest Minister. They’re a very passionate, wonderful people, and they really believe in their area of the province, and they believe in their rights in that area of the province. I actually agree with them.
So on the Prosperity, the Premier had said she’d like to see Prosperity go ahead. However, it has to go back into an environmental process. The company has said that they’re doing a new submission that they want to do, which would not include Fish Lake. I think we have to wait and see what that looks like. But even having said that, and even if they go into that process, from my perspective, if they don’t figure out how they’re going to engage with the Tsilhqot’in in a respectful manner to get there, they still won’t be successful. I think that’s the important part of this piece.
What I did when I became the minister is I made a point of saying I’m not going to put the Tsilhqot’in or anybody into a box where they’re going to have to make decisions. I’m going to go build that relationship directly with the first nation to build the trust so that someday we may be able to have a legitimate conversation about Prosperity — but right now I’m not even having a conversation about Prosperity. It’s about the other issues that they face with power and bioenergy and their mill and the instability of lines in the area for them, for their future, anyway.
At some point in time, the company will make their submission. I’ve told them if they’re making a submission, they need to provide, in advance, all the information they’re going to send the federal government to the Tsilhqot’in. They’re allowed to go and make an application for work, because they have the mine permit piece. That has to go to consultation and accommodation — and that too should go to the Tsilhqot’in in advance, so they have an opportunity to comment and raise their issues with regards to it. From a provincial perspective, I believe some day we will get there — but we’ll get there if we do it respectfully and understanding the wishes of the first nation in the area.
Taseko’s re-submission to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Despite Taseko Mine’s recent resubmission to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, I do not believe the prospects for the success of this particular project have improved. While Taseko’s new submission avoids draining Fish Lake, the draining of this Lake was only one of a myriad of concerns about this particular project. Taskeo’s resubmission also does not address the Provincial and Federal governments’ failure to meet their “duty to consult” obligations with First Nations.
I’m concerned that without a fundamental change in approach from government on this project, the Prosperity Mine Project proposal will continue to divide us and may in fact threaten all major resource development opportunities in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. I am committed to working with all parties, especially the provincial government, to try to get a very different approach to resource development in the Chilcotin.