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Readers speak out about pipeline protests

Federal government accused of breaking law
20732726_web1_LetterEditor-copy

Dear Editor,

In reference to the general debate about “following the law” around the Coastal GasLink pipeline construction protests, we have to point out what is a contradiction in our minds.

We have no problem asking people to get permits to protest or expecting people to follow the law like paying taxes, child support or following any other law. However, what we find offensive is when we choose what laws to follow. When we personally don’t like a law, we will protest it. And this letter is a protest of how our national government has broken its own laws for over 150 years in BC. We request that we follow the law and negotiate lawful treaties so that we no longer break our own Royal Proclamation, the absolute founding principle of Canada’s nation construction, not just this megaproject. In the meantime, let’s get on with negotiating with the Wet’suwet’en so that the pension fund we have been forced to contribute to, which has invested into Coastal GasLink can stop floundering. That’s our declared conflict. Like most Albertans, we profit from the breaking of Canadian law.

And as a side note, the pension fund we have to contribute to is a fine example of how governments make up new laws so that they don’t look like they are breaking anything.

In the Alberta pension case, the provincial government can break morality by taking control of our earned money, but of course not break the law, because they made Bill 22 up on the fly.

Oppositely, in the Wet’suwet’en case, the federal government breaks the law of our land; and, pretends we are moral.

This is not solely a partisan issue, because every ruling party in Canada’s history has broken this law. Reconciliation, let’s get on with the difficult, lawful and moral process.

Ian & Debbie Oostindie

Sylvan Lake