8. NOTICE
OF MOTION
A) Councillor Sav Dhaliwal
Re: An Analysis of a New Direction
Report on the Renewed Federal Comprehensive Land Claims Policy in Relations
to Local Government Interest.
MOVED BY COUNCILLOR S. DHALIWAL
SECONNDED BY COUNCILLOR C. JORDAN
“WHEREAS in April
2015 the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development Canada, released a 92-page report entitled “A New
Direction” containing 43 recommendations on the federal government role in
treaty making in Canada authored by Douglas Eyford, Ministerial Special
Representative to the Minister;
WHEREAS the “A New Direction”
report lists shortcomings in the treaty process including institutional
barriers, inefficiencies, poor accountability, and lack of urgency;
WHEREAS the “A New Direction”
report urged the federal government to get fully engaged in the treaty
process, to assess which treaty talks should be moved forward and which
should be abandoned, to implement methods to fast-track the completion of
those remaining and exit those with little prospect for settlement;
WHEREAS the “A New Direction”
report calls for more options for reconciliation outside of the BC treaty
process, stating that the current federal comprehensive land claims process
is not productive;
WHEREAS moving away from the
current federal approach in treaty negotiations toward bilateral
federal-First Nation non-treaty agreements, where local governments are not
involved in the negotiation process, poses significant implications for local
government;
WHEREAS the “A New Direction”
report does not address Metro Vancouver’s prior submission of local
government comments on the Interim Policy and participation in the meeting
with Mr. Douglas Eyford and federal government staff in October 2014;
WHEREAS local government is not
referenced in the “A New Direction” report with the exception of Metro
Vancouver and UBCM being listed as engagement participants under the heading
of “Other Stakeholders and Interested Parties”;
WHEREAS the “A New Direction”
report identities local government as other stakeholders and special
interested parties; not as elected governments of their constituents;
WHEREAS the Metro Vancouver
analysis identities three areas of support within the recommendations
included with the “A New Direction” report – early resolution of overlapping
claims or shared territories, expansion of the scope of federal treaty
negotiator mandates, and the federal government’s involvement in the treaty
implementation must be more substantive;
WHEREAS the Metro Vancouver
analysis identifies eight areas of concern (not support) within the
recommendations included with the “A New Direction” report – certainly over
lands and resources matters, Incremental Treaty Agreements (ITA) should not
be a replacement for treaties, communication with local government matters,
local government needs to be identified, local governments are not third
parties, taxation is a key local government concern, direct negotiations
between local governments and First Nations should be promoted, local
government requires effective enforcement mechanisms (to ensure the safe provision
of local series under local service agreements with First Nations);
WHEREAS it is not clear if and
when the federal government intends to respond to, or implement, the
recommendation with the “A New Direction” report; and as requested by Metro
Vancouver,
THAT Council endorse the
Metro Vancouver report dated 2015 July 22, entitled, “An Analysis of A New
Direction Report on the Renewed Federal Comprehensive land Claims Policy in
Relation to Local Government Interests”;
THAT Council convey this
endorsement to the federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development Canada as an expression of concern that local government
interests were not identified or addressed in the “A New Direction” report;
THAT Council request that the
federal government engage and include local government in the federal
government’s review of the land claims process prior to responding to the
recommendations contained within the “A New Direction” report; and
THAT Council issue a copy of
the transmittal to Greg Moore, Chair of Metro Vancouver Board.”
CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY
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