The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Oct. 9, edition that the fate of the Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway
pipeline project is now in the
hands of a trio of Federal Appeal
Court judges who reserved their
decision on whether to uphold or
quash the government's approval
of the project.
A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that over six days of legal arguments
in Vancouver, the court
heard the government did not get
aboriginal consent or consider
the impact on the environment
when it okayed the project,
while proponents claimed a decision
to overturn the pipeline
approval would kill the project.
First nations,
environmental groups and a
labour union launched the
appeal.
First nations lawyer Robert Janes says, "At its heart, the duty to fair
consultation is a conversation to
reach mutual understanding and
the Crown simply failed to do
that. ... What could have been used
here was a bit more diplomacy
rather than what I would say is
the somewhat dishonourable
approach that the Government of
Canada took to dealing with the
core issues of title and governance
rights."
Mr. Janes dismisses
the suggestion that first nations'
concerns could be addressed at a later date.
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