Fraser Inst. speaker calls for Indian property rights
2013-05-16 21:07 ET - Street Wire
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by Stockwatch Business Reporter
The dysfunctional state of Indian reserves is Canada's "defining humanitarian crisis," says National Post columnist Jonathan Kay. Speaking at a Fraser Institute luncheon in Vancouver on Thursday, Mr. Kay argued the elimination of Indian poverty, despair and welfare dependency will only come about by giving Indians the same property rights enjoyed by everyone else in Canada. The privatization of reserves will be the cornerstone of their success.
Wards of the state
Mr. Kay asserts Canada's current policy on reserves treats Indians as members of a collective rather than as individuals. Under the Indian Act, the Crown maintains ownership over all reserve land, and grants Indian bands the right to use it. The residents themselves are forbidden to own any reserve property.
This policy, Mr. Kay argues, is based on the "well-intentioned but fundamentally romantic and misguided idea" that Indians, because of some mystical, existential attachment to the land, are impervious to the economic laws that govern the rest of society. On the contrary, Indians are responding rationally to the incentives before them. That is precisely the problem. Canada's collectivist policy on Indians has created a broken system of Soviet-style enclaves, ruled over by property tsars who have no financial reason to change. Despite the billions of dollars shovelled in every year, most reserves are still hotbeds of unemployment, health problems, substance abuse, suicide, lack of education and more. This in turn has generated stereotypes of Indians as lazy, greedy, incompetent drunkards.
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What a bunch of hogwash. Here's a bunch of spewing offensive theoretical rhetoric from once again, another "expert" who knows absolutely nothing about what he is purporting to portray. NOBODY IN CANADA HAS PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS!! Has he not ever read the provisions of the Constitutional Act? So why should "Native Indians" be given a special position that nobody else in Canada can have?
The so called "Native Indian Problem" in Canada begins with the fact that we have a hugely over-bloated Federal civil servant agency that creates jobs for literally thousands of persons (including natives) who do absolutely nothing beneficial but draw down self serving huge annual salaries. My suggestions is that a reasonable solution is to treat the "Native Indians" just like every other Canadian gets treated.
First, fire all of the civil servants involved in the Northern and Indian Affairs department. Second, cut off all of the $9 billion plus subsidy monies currently being paid out to sustain the "Native Indians". Third, require the "Native Indians" to work just like every other Canadian and pay income taxes, just like every other Canadian. Fourth, require them to hold periodic municipal elections on their present reservation physically defined geographical areas and elect their "chief" (Mayor) and Council members just like every other Canadian does. Then, let them pay property taxes on any lands on which their residence and businesses reside and operate, just like every other Canadian.
Take away their debilitating welfare benefits and release them from federal government dictatorship and control. Give them the responsibility to sink or swim on their own and to quit "sponging off" every other Canadian.
As far as occupying any lands they think they need, they can enter into leases with the Federal Government as the landowner just like every other Canadian has to do.
If the "Native Indians" currently living in Canada don't like any of my suggestions, then they are quite free to leave Canada and go back to their true original lands from which their forefathers came, being Asia and/or South America. However, they might not like it there, because no one there will put up with continual whining and crying.
Just some thoughts.
Bruce Dunne
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