Treaty questions figured out

.THE PROVINCIAL gov- ernment has slimmed down from 16 to eight the number of questions it wants to ask in a tand claims referendum this spring,

. The only one that sur- vives intact fram the 16 proposed by a Liberal le- gislative committee last year concems taxation.

It asks for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the statement, “The ex- isting tax exemptions for Aboriginal people should be phased oul”

Gone is a question on whether or not treaties should be. “negotiated in as transparent a manner as possible.”

And changed is a ques- tion on the kind of govern- ment native people should have...

The original one asked

_if aboriginal government should have “the charac-

‘teristics and legal status of local government.”

It’s been replaced with

“one asking if “aboriginal governments should have the characteristics of local government, with powers delegated from Canada and British Columbia.”

‘-That’s considered con- troversial as native people “have relied on the consti- tution and court cases in- dicating there is an inher- - ent right of self-govern- ment.

' The questions are de- “signed to establish what the provincial government ‘calls principles for treaty negotiations.

- “We're poing to do our best to speak on behalf of the provincial public inter- est in setting questions which will assist the pro- vince’s negotiators when they get to the table,” said attorney-general Geoff Plant in advance of debate on the questions in the le- gislature last week.

“If we don’t have this conversation, then treaty- making is more likely to be mired in this sort of going nowhere that has af- -flicted. the. process for tao “long,” he added.

"One of the proposed new. questions states pri- vate property should not be expropriated for treaty set- ‘tlements,

Another wants a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to paying fair com- pensation for unavoidable disruption to commercial ‘interests,

‘Other questions concern access to crown land for hunting, fishing and re- creational activities, maintaining parks and pro- tected areas for everybody and applying province- wide standards for resource Inanagement and environ- mental protection.

Gone from the original list is a question asking if “affordability should be a key factor in determining the amount of land provi- ded in treaty settlements.”

But included in the pre- ambile to the new list is a statement that the govern- ment is “committed to ne- gotiating workable, afford-

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able settlements that will provide certainty, finality

and equality.”

Gone as well are ques- tions from the original list regarding local govern- ment, local community and local economic parti- cipation and involvement in treaty negotiations.

The referendum will be held under the Referendum

Act. It will be conducted by mail-in ballot, and ad- ministered by Elections B.C.

Ballots will be mailed io B.C, voters starting April 2. Voting begins when ballots are received.

The last day for return- ing batlots will be May 15 and the results will be an- nounced as soon as count-

ing is complete.

If more than 50 per cent of the validly cast ballots vote the same way on a question stated, that result will be binding on govern- ment. .

The cost is approxima- tely $8 million.

Native leaders have called for a boycott of the referendum.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 20, 2002 - A7

Gov't to bolster native spending

THE PROVINCIAL government wants to add $10 million to its budget for na- tive spending this year.

Plans are to spend $51.2 million for the year beginning April 1 compared to $45.5 million for the fiscal year ending March 31.

While the dollars for actual treaty negotiations are to drop from $24.9 million to $20.6 million, the province has tagged the $10 million for what it calls “economic measures.”

This money, says the province, is to

help natives pay for their own negotia- tions costs, to resolve outstanding land and resource issues and to increase na- tive economic development, It falls under the attorney-general’s ministry

An additional $20.6 million is to be spent on on-going commitments rela- ted to existing treaty settlements.

The planned hike in spending comes as the province gets ready for a province-wide mail-in referendum de- signed to flesh out the mandate it wants to take into land claims talks.

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