Juno News - The UN thinks pipelines are racist…somehow

The United Nation seems to think Canada's pipeline plans are racist. Why else would a committee dedicated to the elimination of racism tell Canada that it must stop three pipeline projects or else? Well, there's not really an or else there. They have no binding force, they have no ability to come in and tell Canadians and Canadian provinces how to do things. But nevertheless, that hasn't stopped the UN from sticking its nose into the Canadian energy sector once again and using racism as justification.

00:00:00.000 The United Nations seems to think Canada's pipeline plans are racist. Why else would a

00:00:11.440 United Nations committee dedicated to the elimination of racism tell Canada that it

00:00:16.280 must stop three pipeline projects or else? Well, there's not really an or else there. They have

00:00:22.440 no binding force. They have no ability to come in and tell Canadians and Canadian provinces how

00:00:28.280 to do things. But nevertheless, that hasn't stopped the UN from sticking its nose into the

00:00:33.260 Canadian energy sector once again and using racism as justification. The Committee on the

00:00:39.640 Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a UN committee with 18 experts to his name, has issued a written

00:00:46.000 directive ordering the cessation of three specific pipeline projects. The Trans Mountain Pipeline

00:00:52.020 Expansion, the Sightseed Dam, and the Coastal Gas Link Pipeline. The rationale for this is that

00:00:58.560 these projects are being put forth without the free informed consent of Indigenous communities.

00:01:04.800 Now, BC Hydro, for one example, has done ample consultation with Indigenous communities. The

00:01:10.520 fact that some communities aren't happy with it doesn't give them a veto card. And this is what

00:01:15.600 the United Nations is trying to do. Metal in Canadian affairs and basically make it so that any

00:01:21.020 Aboriginal community has a complete veto, which we would not afford, nor should we afford to any 1.00

00:01:26.800 group or individual in Canada. That's not the way it is. In this case, these are going forward

00:01:32.640 with the proper approval, with the proper permits, but that hasn't stopped various communities from

00:01:38.000 basically hosting sit-ins on these grounds. And in one case, building houses along the route,

00:01:44.040 knowing that these are going to have to be demolished because they are literally designed to

00:01:48.280 be trespassing on property that's already been allotted for these pipeline projects.

00:01:54.540 But there's a bigger issue here, which is how dare the UN stick its nose into Canadian affairs,

00:01:59.940 especially since the elimination of racial discrimination you'd think would probably be

00:02:04.620 more impactful to other countries where ethnic minorities are literally being slaughtered by the

00:02:10.280 day. But the UN is more concerned about Canada having energy independence, apparently.

00:02:15.320 Alberta's government has justifiably fired back on this. Sonia Savage, who's the energy minister,

00:02:22.540 says the UN is sticking its nose where it doesn't belong and has no business criticizing Canada's

00:02:28.840 energy megaprojects. Now, again, we should never allow, in a country that already has a federal

00:02:34.820 government that is hostile to energy, a supranational body that has no jurisdiction being able to come in

00:02:41.580 and make these calls as well. But there are going to be people that will use the UN's declarations on

00:02:47.460 this as in some way justification for actually passing certain laws. We've already seen this with

00:02:54.020 other areas of public policy where so-called non-binding United Nations resolutions and compacts

00:03:00.720 become binding because the Canadian government decides to internalize them and give them the full

00:03:06.660 force of law domestically. Paris climate targets are a great example of this. So we have to say no to

00:03:12.720 this, moreover, because it's the UN telling us. But we also have to look at the root of the argument

00:03:18.300 itself. And that is that you cannot allow any group to hijack a national discussion. Just because not

00:03:24.560 everyone agrees to something does not mean that there is an ingrained veto. And especially that's true

00:03:31.400 with energy. For True North, I'm Andrew Lawton.

Juno News - January 10, 2020

The UN thinks pipelines are racist…somehow

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