New whistleblower evidence suggests that the Canadian government — while carrying out ‘consultation’ about Kinder Morgan with First Nations — may have already made up its mind to approve the project.
This is huge. If true, this could be the beginning of the end for Kinder Morgan. Just yesterday, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation applied to the Court to compel the federal government to release its secret records about the review of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and to consider this evidence in making a ruling on court challenges that our Pull Together campaign has been supporting.
“It is Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s position that such new evidence of bad faith and dishonorable conduct by Canada… would be directly relevant to the Court’s consideration of whether Canada discharged its duty to consult.” — Scott Smith, legal counsel for the Tsleil-Waututh.
Federal whistleblowers allege that in the days prior to the approval of the Kinder Morgan project in October 2016, civil servants were instructed to find a way to get the project approved even as the government was going through the motions of consulting with First Nations. The existence of these records only came to light last week through investigative reporting by the National Observer.
Indigenous Peoples have been at the receiving end of these kinds of ‘negotiations’ — conducted by officials with fingers crossed behind their backs — for generations. We must hold the government to account.
The era of ramming through projects without consent is over.
Thousands of people have donated, fundraised, and organized to stand behind Indigenous Nations. Our strategy is working: donate now.
Thanks to Tsleil Waututh leadership, we’re about to find out just how serious Trudeau and his cabinet really are about reconciliation. If accommodating Big Oil is their hidden agenda, we must stand behind Indigenous Peoples who are forcing our leaders to tell the truth and abide by the Constitution.
Now that would be in the national interest.
