BILL C-54: First Nations, Oil, Gas, Money Management

Now when those emerging market businessmen come to call, what will be the result?

Read the fine print on this one.

BILL C-54: FIRST NATIONS OIL AND GAS AND MONEYS MANAGEMENT ACT Prepared by: Marlisa Tiedemann, Law and Government Division, 25 August 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND
A. Context
B. Oil and Gas
1. The Existing Oil and Gas Regime
a. The Indian Oil and Gas Act
b. Indian Oil and Gas Canada
c. The Indian Resource Council
2. Devolution of Control Over Oil and Gas
a. Legislative Amendments
b. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Energy, Mines and Resources Study
c. The First Nations Oil and Gas Management Initiative
C. The Existing Indian Moneys Regime

DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS
A. Preamble
B. Interpretation and Application (Clauses 2 to 5)
C. Requests for Transfer (Clauses 6 to 9)
D. Requirements for Transfer (Clauses 10 to 16)
E. Approval Procedure (Clauses 17 to 21)
F. Transfers to First Nations (Clauses 22 to 33)
1. Oil and Gas (Clauses 22 to 29)
2. Moneys (Clauses 29 to 33)
G. Powers Relating to Oil and Gas
H. General
I. Application of Other Laws
1. Oil and Gas
2. Moneys
J. Regulations
K. Coming Into Force

COMMENTARY
[. . . . ]
Bill C-54 has received virtually no media attention. On the part of First Nations, there has been neither vocal support for the proposed legislation (other than by the three participating First Nations), nor vocal opposition. A policy analyst from the Assembly of First Nations who appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples during its study on Aboriginal economic development made the comment that Bill C-54 is an example of the type of initiative that should be undertaken to further economic development.(24)

[. . . . ] [(24) Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, Evidence, 15 June 2005 (Dean Polchies, Policy Analyst, Economic Partnership Secretariat, Assembly of First Nations).]

Bill C-54:
meeting 47, Oct. 25, 05
meeting 46, Oct. 20, 05
meeting 44, Oct. 06, 05



Remember from above, the words "to further economic development", when you link to this editorial.

Editorial: a must read

The disgrace of our native policy



My Commentary:

When do we start speaking honestly about the sluicing of Canadian taxpayers' money to natives across Canada? The system is not working!

Remember Davis Inlet (Netuashish, I think) and the glue-sniffing kids? After flying the kids out for treatment, building a new town at great cost, what has been accomplished? From what I have read since, the same problems that plagued the adults and the children--drugs, alcohol, brain damage--still plague the same natives. All that changed was that it was moved into better digs . . . no real change.

Remember, the destruction in the new town with the entry of the first few residents, even before the new town was completed? What condition are those new homes in by now? Why should Canadians fund more of the same?

Have you noted the holes punched in the walls in the photos coming out of the north's latest expose? Do poor people attract holes in their walls . . . or do these benighted natives have something to do with it?

I know a pilot who flies over a northern area; he told me that every year, lack of proper maintenance means that the snowmobiles are not working too well so the natives leave them the ice of a nearby lake. As the ice thaws, come spring, the snowmobiles settle to the bottom BUT the natives know they will get new ones to replace those -- compliments of Canadian taxpayers through the Native Slucing Department. There is no reason for them to change what they do. I have not seen this first hand but I trust the guy who told me this. If it is true, it is simply one of many examples why the whole system is rotten, creating more dependencies of the same calibre, and why the system must be scrapped. NJC

Don't tell me I'm a racist for writing this. The present system is dismal and it is time for Canadians to stop mouthing the same old **** **** [insert favourite epithet] just because it makes natives feel good and keeps the same old corrupt government(s), both native and non-native, in power.



House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANO)

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