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Tli Cho deal gets rough ride in third reading
WebPosted Dec 7 2004 08:45 AM CST
http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=tlicho-parliament-12072004

OTTAWA - Parliament will vote on the Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Act Tuesday, one day after the bill came under attack by Conservative MPs during final reading.
[Zoe says despite the rhetoric from the Conservatives, he's confident the agreement will pass]

Zoe says despite the rhetoric from the Conservatives, he's confident the agreement will pass
Conservative MPs spent a lot of time in the House of Commons Monday criticizing the Tlicho agreement.

They said it should not pass third reading because a Tli Cho government would have too much power.

They said decisions of a Tli Cho government would not be open for question.

And the federal government would have to give the Tli Cho a chance to comment on international treaties before agreeing to them.

Conservative MPs asked whether all First Nations communities will have to be consulted on international treaties that affect them.

"Is this a signal from this government that before they embark, and carry out foreign policy or entering treaties that they are going to consult with all of these communities?" asked Brian Fitzpatrick, an MP from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

"What kind of bureaucracy does this government intend to create?"

Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew defended the legislation.

"This is not about creating bureaucracy or creating huge precedence. This about enabling the aboriginal people of Canada to participate and to give fullest expression to their place in Canada," she said.

John B. Zoe, the chief negotiator, says the real motivation behind these statements by the Conservatives is to get attention for themselves, and gain future votes in the next federal election.

"For a person who hasn't been involved in the negotiations, it's easier to bring out a lot of 'what if's.' 'What if's' are not part of reality," he says.

Dogrib Nation Grand Chief Joe Rabesca agrees.

Despite the criticisms by the Conservatives, Rabesca believes the bill will pass third reading because the NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Liberals support the act.

"We really want to see it go through. I gave up many years on this agreement," he says. "If it means I have to come back, I'll come back, because it's very important."

About 30 people from the Northwest Territories will be at the House of Commons Tuesday to witness the final vote.

Those include negotiators, Dogrib chiefs, lawyers, and four elders.

If it passes it will then go to the Senate for approval.

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