Deranger says Idle No More should be important to all Canadians, not just First Nations, because it voices concern with how the Conservative government is passing bills without proper consultation.
“What we saw was a bill rammed through without adequate debate… there should have been adequate debate and adequate consultation.”
“We’ve seen the Conservative government erode democracy,” she says.
Deranger explains Idle No More is a movement that is about “a breakdown of democracy.”
“We’re saying enough is enough. We’re not going to stand idly by.”
However, there has been a lot of confusion surrounding which aspects of Bill C-45 are of particular concern for Idle No More supporters. Deranger hopes to clear up some of the misunderstandings about the cause.
“To be honest, I think there’s a lot of misinformation going on as to what the movement’s really about. Because of the misinformation on both sides, it becomes a bit of an uneducated debate until you really break it down. This is an issue that should be a concern for everyone.”
Breaking down Bill C-45 & Idle No More
The Indian Act
Deranger says the bill includes changing the procedures that lead up to the removal of land. Basically, she says, the amendments makes federal removal of land easier. In the past, she explains, referendums were required for land removal proposals, and the referendums had to include all members of a First Nation. Now, she says, either a meeting or a referendum must be called, and the majority vote at that meeting decides the result, no matter how few people are at the meeting. In addition, says Deranger, the Minister can call a meeting himself for the removal of land.
The Navigable Waters Protection Act
The Navigable Waters Protection Act would become the Navigation Protection Act. Changes to the law would see thousands of lakes and streams removed from federal protection. Critics say that move takes away environmental oversight of the waterways.
“Important lakes and rivers in my region are being stripped of protection,” NDP MP Glen Thibeault has said. Thibeault represents the Sudbury, Ontario riding.
The Harper government said the changes would streamline regulation and reduce red tape that was holding up projects along waterways. Transportation Minister Denis Lebel added many waterways will still be covered by environmental protection under other laws.
However, Idle No More supports fear the changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act remove protection of more than 99.9 per cent of lakes and rivers in Canada, says Deranger.
“It’s a direct violation of treaty rights,” she adds. “Lakes and rivers are often the centre and focal point of communities.”
The Environmental Assessment Act
Deranger says the Environmental Assessment Act has been weakened under the new bill. She says now, certain projects don’t have to go through a significant review process, including those that involve natural resource extraction.
“The Idle No More movement came about because [the bill] had drastic impacts on aboriginal rights,” she explains, “but not only our rights, but on Canadian democracy.”
The changes in Bill C-45 would also eliminate the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission, which is an independent body responsible for making science-based decisions to protect Canadians from toxic chemicals and hazardous materials in the workplace.
The Fisheries Act
Critics say the Fisheries Act and the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act were critical laws that were used to support environmental stewardship, clean water and healthy oceans for all Canadians. They say the changes included in the omnibus bill would further weaken Canada’s environmental laws, remove critical federal safeguards, and reduce the amount of public consultation and input on projects that impact the environment and ecosystem. Critics argue the changes to the Fisheries Act would give industry the option of asking that their existing commitments to protect fish habitat be changed or cancelled, or that they no longer be responsible for providing compensation for lost or damaged habitat.
Deranger says the biggest concern with changes to this law is that “aboriginal fishing rights” were added to the Fisheries Act. However, she says, those same rights are already included in Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Idle No More supporters worry that this addition means the Conservative government could be considering removing Section 35 from the Constitution.
“The concern is that if the government is able to push this bill through… it could completely erode our democratic rights in our country,” adds Deranger.
More on Idle No More
The Idle No More campaign was started by four women from Saskatchewan against a number of bills before Parliament. They are particularly critical of Bill C-45, which they say weakens environmental laws.
"We started discussing that and felt that we need to bring attention to this legislation," said Jessica Gordon, who lives in Saskatoon.
I didn't mean I just wanted comment from people across the pond but rather I've been following this on Twitter with the hashtag #IdleNoMore and quite understandably people tweeting about this are trying to generate as much publicity as possible. I am I suppose, wondering just how big a movement it currently is.
