Blue Like You

Archive for September 15th, 2007

The Record is reporting that former Toronto mayor David Crombie will be the liaison between federal negotiators and the non-aboriginal community.

At least someone is listening.

Meanwhile, Sam Gualtieri is now able to speak and says that he knows who his attacker is.

Joe said his brother recalled telling the protesters that they were on his property and to get out. “They said, ‘not anymore it’s our property now,’” a tearful Gualtieri told his brother. Gualtieri’s nephews, who were with him at the time, said he was attacked after trying to chase a group of natives off the property and hit from behind with a piece of wood. But several natives gave a different version, saying the protesters were defending themselves against Gualtieri who attacked them first. OPP Sergeant Dave Rektor said no arrests had yet been made in the assault but that investigators were working “diligently”.

Today’s Post contains a bit of insight into John Tory’s position on MMP (Tory signals he’ll vote no in referendum):

“I’m very skeptical about a system that … adds more politicians to begin with,” Mr. Tory said. “I haven’t met a single voter yet who has told me they’re looking to add more politicians to the Ontario legislature, or any other place.”

“I certainly haven’t run into anybody who thinks it would be better to have MPPs, or any other kinds of politicians, who are appointed by party bosses and accountable to no constituents,” Mr. Tory said.

Now Scott Tribe suggests that this is just a lot of fear-mongering, and that Tory should be stating up front that the process would be democratic with province-wide party nomination conventions; thus following Howard Hampton’s lead.

Well, I have two problems with that. First of all, why waste time planning policy for a what-if situation? There are many more concrete issues to be focusing on in this election.

Secondly, are there any guarantees that just because John Tory, Dalton McGuinty or Howard Hampton would decree the party position to be “X”, that a future leader wouldn’t change it to “Y”?

I think it would be best for John Tory to keep hammering away on Caledonia and broken promises, and leave MMP up to the voters, whom I hope deliver a resounding “No!” at the polls.

Check out this CHML link:

Click on Caledonia - Will it ever end?

Scott hones in on the real issue at the heart of the native file - their own discord regarding leadership.

Not to let McGuinty off the hook here. He’s responsible for keeping the peace - and doing a pathetic job of it.

SDA links to this Globe article with the following chilling statement:

Joe Gualtieri said Ontario Provincial Police officers on the site “stood there, and they did not intervene” until after the beating, when the attackers had fled.

Enter Ontario at your own risk.

This quote from the same Globe link underlines the lack of control within the native community:

Six Nations hereditary chief Allen MacNaughton said in an interview that the confederacy council, which is trying to negotiate an understanding with Ventures Homes Ltd., the company that owns Stirling South, was surprised by the protesters.

“The confederacy was not aware of the movement,” Mr. MacNaughton said.

He said that the chiefs tried yesterday to talk the protesters into leaving the site, but “the people there are not listening to us at this time.”

Today’s editorial in the Record (Six Nations Can’t Dictate Laws) is worth the price of the whole year’s subscription. I humbly apologize to the Record for ever suggesting that they might be a Liberal pawn:

The rule of Canadian law is breaking down in the Grand River valley. And Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is letting it break piece by piece in a vast region of the province more than 800,000 people call home.

The Record goes on to list the incidents of increasing tensions between natives and homebuilders; including the brutal beating of Sam Gualtieri.

Earlier this week, Waterloo regional Chairman Ken Seiling said there was no basis in provincial law for the Six Nations to be approving development. In addition, he indicated the region would not seek Six Nations permits for any of its own projects. The violence in Caledonia two days ago underscored the grave limitations and potential hazards of this view.

Sounds like a recipe for an explosion, as the Record’s editorial cartoon implies.

The editorial calls the Six Nations’ demand for a development fee “blackmail and a precursor to anarchy”.

The provincial government of Dalton McGuinty has made it clear that while it theoretically supports Ontario’s property laws and system of land deeds, it will not get directly involved in these disputes. In the eyes of the premier and the government, a developer confronted by a Six Nations occupation should call police. But the recent history of the Six Nations occupation of the Douglas Creek subdivision in Caledonia shows how feeble a public protector the Ontario Provincial Police can be in a native dispute.

When confronted on the campaign trail, McGuinty’s response is to say ‘tsk-tsk’ and blame the feds.

The Record counters:

The bottom line lesson couldn’t be more obvious: In a dispute between natives and a non-native landowner, the police might maintain civil order and public peace. (Then again, as many Caledonia residents will attest, the police might not.) However, the police cannot be relied upon to defend the rights of landowners enshrined in Ontario law.

Premier McGuinty is correct that the federal government should be more active and assertive in resolving claims being advanced by the Six Nations. But as a politician again seeking the support and confidence of Ontario voters, McGuinty has a duty to perform, election or no election. Ontario law as it stands must be clearly understood and consistently enforced. After all, every Ontarian deserves the protection of that law.

A few days ago I predicted that this would be the tipping point of the election.

We’ll see if I’m right.