Opposition MLAs call on premier to repair relationship with Mi'kmaw chiefs
CBC
Opposition politicians say it is up to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston to find a way to lower tensions between his government and Mi’kmaw leadership in the province.
“The premier has to pick up the phone, he has to reach out to the chiefs,” Liberal MLA Derek Mombourquette told reporters Thursday.
“He has to get around the table and they need to start repairing that relationship.”
Chiefs have expressed concern this year about the Progressive Conservative government making decisions that could affect them without including them in talks ahead of time. That’s included legislation that reversed bans on uranium exploration and mining and rules aimed at protests on Crown land that block logging operations.
Most recently, the chiefs criticized the government for a news conference last week where Justice Minister Scott Armstrong said he was calling on the RCMP to take on cannabis sales at sites outside the provincially regulated system. Some of those sites are located on First Nation reserves.
Armstrong sent a letter to chiefs outlining the government’s position on the same day as the news conference. The chiefs have said they were not previously consulted and noted that they pushed in the past to be included in the legalization framework without any response from former governments. They’ve accused the government of targeting First Nation communities.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender agreed with that assessment.
“I think we see this government creating an enemy out of the Mi’kmaw people in this province when what they should be doing is working collaboratively with them,” she told reporters.
Houston was unfazed by the pushback, which has included at least one First Nation banning him from their community.
He said the issue is about public safety and concerns that cannabis sold outside the Health Canada-approved system using Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation outlets opens the door to tainted supply and organized crime. Arrests at illicit sites have produced weapons and other drugs, the premier noted.
“We’re just saying let’s treat weed like we treat booze,” he told reporters following a cabinet meeting Thursday.
Armstrong has said the government would be willing to set up NSLC sites in First Nation communities to ensure a safe supply that cuts out the illicit market, while pledging to leave all proceeds in the host communities.
The premier said he’s heard from people in First Nation communities in the last week who welcomed the government’s announcement because they don’t like the proliferation of unauthorized sites and the problems they can bring.
Houston said he has a good relationship with many of the chiefs and the government always adheres to its legal duty to consult. When it comes to talking with the chiefs, Houston said he's "an open door."
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