Introduction: May 24, 2004, by Arthur Caldicott Introduction: Half a year after the government introduced Bill 75, and the government is still doing damage control, sending out obtuse letters such as the one appended to this bulletin. We're highlighting this item again, because we hope our readers will keep a close eye on projects in their area, and watch to make sure the regulations and bylaws enacted to protect local interests and the environment are not swept aside by the heavy-handed Project Streamlining Act. 

Original story: In the letter appended here, residents of Qualicum Bay and Bowser are assured by John Les, Minister of Small Business and Economic Development that Bill 75 won't be used ... Hold on. Let me read that again... ... read the full story

Introduction:  Much of what this government is doing, in its drive to privatize, in its mania to cut "red tape", and, especially, in some surprisingly clever new legislation and policy designed to evade the Crown's responsiblities to First Nations, is aimed at the holy grail of certainty. Certainty isn't a a bad word in the abstract, but it can be when it's used to give control over our public assets to a few corporations, at virtually no cost. This bulletin points out the things the Liberals are doing to achieve certainty, and how illusory this grail really is, while the underlying causes of uncertainty are merely paved over, rather than resolved. (See also our annotation of Minister de Jong's scrum about forestry agreements with First Nations; and see our new bulletin about the Business Council of BC's new proposals to resolve Aboriginal issues--all in the name of certainty.) 

Introduction: The Title & Rights Alliance is a new initiative that brings together First Nations from across the province to oppose the government's approach to land management and its attempts to create certainty by avoiding its obligations to First Nations and privatizing control of land and resources.  This story is about the Alliance's first major public event, a rally at the Legislature on May 20, following a major conference to create strategies for the summer. 

Oh, what a little information about BC Rail can do

Introduction: One of the secret terms in the BC Rail deal that started to leak out this spring is the renewal clause that allows CAN Rail to control BC Rail for up to 990 years, not the 90 years the BC government claimed. The media have been breaking this news, but they haven't really asked why the government kept the terms a secret, even denying them in response to direct questions in the Legislature (see column quoting a duplicitous Minister Kevin Falcon). This bulletin suggests that part of the motivation for the secrecy may have been recent case law requiring the government to consult and accommodate First Nations. As with recent forestry legislation, the government is trying to skirt its duties, to keep their privatization agenda going. 

Martin and softwood diplomacy

April 27, 2004, by Will Hurter Introduction:  The softwood lumber dispute continues (another case of government failing to resolve the underlying cause of the problem, despite the workable solutions recommended by the Coalition for Sustainable Forest Solutions), and new Prime Minister Paul Martin continues the same old, ineffective way of trying to work it out, leader to leader.  This article points out the futility of this exercise. And of course, nothing has come of Prime Minister Martin's chat.