Today, on the 16th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s precedent-setting Delgamuukw decision brought forward by the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en, Official Opposition aboriginal relations and reconciliation critic, Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson, said it is past time the B.C. Liberals get on with implementing the judge’s ruling.

“There are too many examples of the B.C. Liberals behaving as if this ruling on aboriginal rights and title never happened and that is having negative impacts for all people in the province.

“Premier Clark’s government’s deceptive approach to Enbridge and her mining minister’s continued lobbying for the New Prosperity mine – despite strong First Nations objections – are just two recent cases where the Liberals are creating uncertainty.

“They are fostering the conditions for litigation which the Supreme Court said was not the solution to disputes on aboriginal rights and title.

“The honour of the Crown is further tarnished when the BC Liberals sign engagement agreements then ignore the conditions as has happened with the Gitanyow on LNG pipeline proposals and the Tahltan with mining in the Sacred Headwaters.

“It’s time on the anniversary of this historic decision for this government to take consultation and accommodation seriously and demonstrate they are truly interested in reconciliation with the aboriginal peoples of this province.”