House of Commons resumes amid anti-pipeline protests, blockades

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — While anti-pipeline and Indigenous rights protests continue across Canada, fiery exchanges are expected in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returns to a House of Commons to debate his government’s policies on the economy, energy, climate change, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples after a week away. He cancelled a trip to Barbados to find a solution by holding an emergency meeting Monday with cabinet member’s, but it isn’t clear yet what the federal government will do.

RELATED: No federal solution to anti-pipeline rail blockades

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt says conservatives are angry the prime minister hasn’t ordered police to try to stop the blockades considering the major economic impact, “not just VIA rail being disrupted, but manufactured goods, agricultural goods, oil and gas goods,” he says.

The NDP is calling for an emergency debate on anti-pipeline blockades that have shut down swaths of the country’s train system and interrupted traffic on highways and bridges while saying action has been to slow and the federal government isn’t respecting Indigenous rights. Leader Jagmeet Singh says there needs to be a balanced plan.

“Trust the injustice that the first people of this land have faced and also make sure that working people are able to make a good living,” he says.

So far, meetings among ministers and Indigenous communities have not produced concrete results, although more talks are being planned.

Carolyn Bennett, the minister for Crown-Indigenous relations, met Monday in Victoria with her British Columbia counterpart, Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser, to talk about finding a peaceful resolution to the blockades across the country, as well as and other issues arising from the concerns of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.

Bennett says he is also ready to meet with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, should they give the go-ahead.

An alternate route for the 670-kilometre pipeline was proposed by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, but that was rejected by Coastal Gas Link as it would be longer, cost $800 million more and require with consultation four more First Nations.