Juno News - January 10, 2020The UN thinks pipelines are racist…somehow
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Summary
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.
Transcript
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The United Nations seems to think Canada's pipeline plans are racist. Why else would a
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United Nations committee dedicated to the elimination of racism tell Canada that it
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must stop three pipeline projects or else? Well, there's not really an or else there. They have
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no binding force. They have no ability to come in and tell Canadians and Canadian provinces how
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to do things. But nevertheless, that hasn't stopped the UN from sticking its nose into the
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Canadian energy sector once again and using racism as justification. The Committee on the
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Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a UN committee with 18 experts to his name, has issued a written
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directive ordering the cessation of three specific pipeline projects. The Trans Mountain Pipeline
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Expansion, the Sightseed Dam, and the Coastal Gas Link Pipeline. The rationale for this is that
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these projects are being put forth without the free informed consent of Indigenous communities.
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Now, BC Hydro, for one example, has done ample consultation with Indigenous communities. The
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fact that some communities aren't happy with it doesn't give them a veto card. And this is what
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the United Nations is trying to do. Metal in Canadian affairs and basically make it so that any
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Aboriginal community has a complete veto, which we would not afford, nor should we afford to any
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group or individual in Canada. That's not the way it is. In this case, these are going forward
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with the proper approval, with the proper permits, but that hasn't stopped various communities from
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basically hosting sit-ins on these grounds. And in one case, building houses along the route,
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knowing that these are going to have to be demolished because they are literally designed to
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be trespassing on property that's already been allotted for these pipeline projects.
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But there's a bigger issue here, which is how dare the UN stick its nose into Canadian affairs,
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especially since the elimination of racial discrimination you'd think would probably be
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more impactful to other countries where ethnic minorities are literally being slaughtered by the
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day. But the UN is more concerned about Canada having energy independence, apparently.
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Alberta's government has justifiably fired back on this. Sonia Savage, who's the energy minister,
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says the UN is sticking its nose where it doesn't belong and has no business criticizing Canada's
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energy megaprojects. Now, again, we should never allow, in a country that already has a federal
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government that is hostile to energy, a supranational body that has no jurisdiction being able to come in
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and make these calls as well. But there are going to be people that will use the UN's declarations on
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this as in some way justification for actually passing certain laws. We've already seen this with
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other areas of public policy where so-called non-binding United Nations resolutions and compacts
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become binding because the Canadian government decides to internalize them and give them the full
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force of law domestically. Paris climate targets are a great example of this. So we have to say no to
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this, moreover, because it's the UN telling us. But we also have to look at the root of the argument
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itself. And that is that you cannot allow any group to hijack a national discussion. Just because not
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everyone agrees to something does not mean that there is an ingrained veto. And especially that's true
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with energy. For True North, I'm Andrew Lawton.