The Centrist

How utterly and depressingly predictable the scene Attawapiskatis is. It is one that is repeated year after year.

 A television camera brings the third world conditions of a Canadian community into our homes. The story of abject poverty in Aboriginal communities becomes the flavor of the week on the countries editorial pages. We profess our collective revulsion that this can exist in our country. The government of the day declares that it has been spending a lot of money, so the situation must be someone else’s fault. But, they assure us, they are on the case, and will fix the problem immediately.

An Aboriginal community that no one has ever heard of, much less pronounce, sitting in a remote part of Canada. There’s no apparent reason for that small group of people to be there. There is no economy, no schools, no hospitals, and nothing for people to do except watch television, drink and do drugs. Yet, the people that live in these desolate places call it home. 

In the aftermath of the federal election last week, many are asking what Stephen Harper will do when he takes his long awaited and much-craved majority for a test drive. He has an opportunity to frame a sensible medium-term agenda. But will he blow the chance? Many Ottawa-watchers are seized with precisely that question, but no one has a clear idea. The uncertainty amongst “insiders” in the capital is palpable -- an odd state of affairs given the Tory majority.

The contortions by John Weston, Conservative MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, and the entire Harper government, on the question of the unprecedented delay in initialing the Sliammon treaty, have been spellbinding.

On the one hand Mr. Weston says that he has not read thetreaty, and on the other he says that “I’ve done everything in my power to expedite the Treaty process”.   One the one hand Mr. Weston says, “I’ve done my best to ensure we get the Treaty right. On the other he says that he has not been “involved” in the “review” process that he claims have held it up. On the one hand Weston says that the treaty is “unconstitutional”. On the other he says that he is “Standing with the Sliammon. We’ve run a long way; let’s finish the race together”.

So what are the Sliammon people and City of Powell River, and regional district to make of these flagrant contradictions?

Here’s how Clint Williams, Chief of the Sliammon First Nation see’s it: “We are absolutely appalled and stunned that our own MP, John Weston, has not been a strong supporter for moving this matter forward.  We are truly shocked and speechless.”