TNG response to Tasekos second Judicial ReviewENOUGH IS ENOUGH. First Nations Respond to Judicial Review of Federal Rejection of New Prosperity: “Enough is Enough” Tsilhqot’in Territory, BC (March 26, 2014): The Tsilhqot’in Nation will continue to defend its rights and interests in the face of a second judicial review initiated by Taseko Mines Ltd. (TML) against the federal rejection of the New Prosperity Gold-Copper mine. “The latest legal action is a desperate attempt by a desperate company to distract everyone from the facts,” said Chief Joe Alphonse, Tribal Chair for the Tsilhqot’in National Government. “The bottom line is that TML and both levels of government must end this direct threat to our culture and values once and for all. Two independent federal panel reviews have now found severe environmental problems and threats to First Nations culture and rights that simply cannot be mitigated. The project is so fundamentally flawed that even the generally pro-resource development federal Conservative government and the Prime Minister himself have concluded that the problems are so “scathing” and “damning” that it has rejected the Project twice in four years. “After all of this, TML is still insisting on pursuing a project that clearly cannot and will not be built, and is engaging in various legal actions that put their shareholders, the Tsilhqot’in and taxpayers to further wasteful expense,” said Chief Roger William of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government. “All this despite the fact that the project lies inside one of the only areas in Canada subject to court-proven Aboriginal rights – the law of the land as of September 2012.” “We are equally disappointed that the BC government, and in particular Mines Minister Bennett, continue to talk and act as if this project has been wrongly rejected and still has a chance of proceeding,” said Chief Russell Myers Ross of the Yunesit’in Government. “We know from the elections records that the Liberal government and Mr. Bennett have received political funding from TML. We also know that under Mr. Bennett in 2010 the province became the only regulatory authority to approve the mine and claim that it posed no problems of major concern. Neither fact justifies the government continuing to blindly support this project, providing the company’s investors with false hope, and generating more stress for our communities. The conduct of the Province on this file calls into question the honour of the Crown, considering the B.C. environmental assessment amendment process is incomplete.” Chief Alphonse: “Enough is enough. It is time to end the pointless pursuit of a bad mine and move forward. That’s why the Tsilhqot’in will fight this second lawsuit, and why we are about to introduce our own Mining Policy, so that we never have to go through such a fight again.” Chief William: “For the Tsilhqot’in, after all these years spent under the oppressive shadow of this proposed project, it is time for us to finally be set free to work with other communities and companies in the area on economic projects that will truly benefit this region, without destroying the land and waters on which we all depend. We have not struggled for 20 years in the courts, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, simply to have our Aboriginal rights mean nothing at the end of the day.” MEDIA: Chief Joe Alphonse – 250-305-8282 Chief Roger William – 250-394-7023 ext. 203 (After Fri: 250-267-6593) For Assistance Reaching the Chiefs: JP Laplante, 250-267-3759 teztanbiny.ca/first-nations-respond-judicial-review-federal-rejection-new-prosperity-enough-enough/
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 22:14:38 +0000
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