Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) Newswire

PRESS RELEASE

Williams Lake BC. February 11, 2011: Liberal Leadership candidate Christy Clark’s pledge to give priority to reviving Taseko Mines Ltd’s dead and discredited Prosperity project would plunge BC into a costly, wasteful, divisive and destructive battle, the Tsilhqot’in National Government said today.

In statements made in Burnaby this week, Ms. Clark said that if she becomes premier, she would use her first meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to demand that his government reverse its decision last Nov. 2 to reject the mine.

“This pledge might have the backing of those in the well-financed mining industry in BC who believe they have the right to treat the province as their own personal staking grounds, but it demonstrates that Ms. Clark is living in the past and favours conflict over co-operation in BC,” said TNG Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse.

“Ms Clark’s comments also demonstrate that she is prepared to steamroll over First Nations rights and environmental protection to help Taseko Mines Ltd get its way. If this is her idea of leadership, we believe it places her completely out of step with most British Columbians,” Chief Alphonse said.

Xeni Gwet’in Chief Marilyn Baptiste, whose First Nation would be most directly impacted by the destruction of Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) and the ecosystems and lands that this dead project would have caused, said: “Ms. Clark has clearly not bothered to pay any attention to the facts – as evidenced by her statement that she will persuade Mr. Harper to reverse the decision by arguing it would mean votes in BC.

“I am sure Mr. Harper is fully aware that support for his party in BC was not harmed by rejecting this mine proposal, and has indeed risen since. It was the Provincial Liberals who suffered by so blatantly trying the help Taseko Mines Ltd. get its devastating project approved at any cost.”

Ms. Clark demonstrates further lack of knowledge by repeating the myth that the federal decision was based on misinformation and false allegations.

The 60 days of public hearings by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Review Panel heard overwhelming community opposition to the mine and legal and environmentally scientific evidence as to why it should not proceed.

“The panel’s report was the most damning the CEAA has ever released against a proposal. It highlighted in detail the extensive violation of First Nations rights that would occur and the devastating impact that this lake- and ecosystem-killing open-pit mine would cause with its massive 35 sq. km, footprint on a pristine wilderness area,” Chief Alphonse said.

In rejecting the mine, then Environment Minister Jim Prentice, speaking on behalf of his government, called the report “scathing” and the “most condemning” he had ever read.

This ruling should have come as no surprise to Taseko and the province as they had been told for 17 years by federal officials that it was unacceptable and a waste of their time and money.

Indeed, the fact that the province and Taseko chose to not proceed with a joint review with the federal government indicates that that they knew full well that the project was a bad one.

As many commentators have since noted, the fact that Mr. Harper’s Conservative and pro industry government was compelled to reject this mine demonstrates how weak and industry biased the provincial review process really is.

“If, like our Tsilhqot’in and other First Nations in BC, Ms. Clark wants responsible mining that respects the land, water and rights, then she should show leadership and focus on ways to reform the mining process in BC to ensure that we can all focus on projects that can actually pass this test,” said Chief Baptiste.

“If Ms. Clark really wants jobs and quality of life for all, then the reality that she should be embracing is that it is mining reform, not bullying, that will create jobs.”

Chief Alphonse added: “Unfortunately, her comments this week suggest one of Ms. Clark’s main reasons for wanting to become premier is to help the mining industry treat BC as its own domain and exploit our resources as and where it sees fit. This is a vision that British Columbians simply cannot afford.”

Media contacts:
Chief Joe Alphonse, Tribal Chair, TNG: 250.305.8282 or 250.394.4212
Chief Marilyn Baptiste, Xeni Gwet’in: 250.394.7023 x. 202 or 250.267.1401