Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced Friday that he and other Conservative party MPs will oppose the ratification of the K’omoks First Nation’s treaty.
Speaking in West Vancouver, Poilievre called for the treaty, drafted between the K’omoks First Nation, the province and Canada, to be put on hold, claiming it fails to “explicitly and clearly protect property rights.”
The treaty passed in the B.C. Legislature this spring, and Parliament is expected to vote on its ratification next year.
“Conservatives will stand up for property rights, for your home, for economic development, for our economy, and for affordability by voting against the K’omoks treaty,” he said, encouraging Canadians to tell their MPs to do the same.
K’omoks First Nation Chief Coun. Nicole Rempel said the Conservative leader’s description of the treaty isn’t accurate.
“If Mr. Poilievre had taken the time to read the treaty in full rather than just the talking points, I think he would have a better grasp of the treaty and what it means,” she said.
“To that extent, K’omoks is a little disappointed that he is making these comments without having reached out to K’omoks First Nation.”
First Nations opposed to K’omoks, Kitselas treaty bills prepared for litigation: UBCIC
She said the treaty doesn’t involve private property, beyond land already purchased by the nation. To say otherwise, Rempel said, is “feeding the fear and racism” about reconciliation for political gain.
“I think it’s difficult to take criticism seriously when it’s based on claims that simply aren’t true,” she said.
Rempel encouraged Poilievre to reach out to her nation to learn more about the treaty.
The Conservative Party said it is concerned about legislation that invokes Canada’s reconciliation law, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which it says creates uncertainty.
Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty’s office said that claims that the treaty creates uncertainty or threats to property rights are a misrepresentation.
“Our government negotiates modern treaties to establish legal clarity and certainty,” spokesperson Alec Wilson said in a statement.
“Through negotiation rather than lengthy legal battles, we can protect property rights while advancing reconciliation. It creates clear rules that reduce disputes, support investment, and provide greater certainty for Indigenous communities, neighbouring communities, and businesses alike.”
Several members of the B.C. Conservative Party voted to pass the provincial treaty legislation, including the Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day and house leader Á’a:líya Warbus.
“I think what it demonstrates is he hasn’t, and his team hasn’t, even bothered to read the treaty because private property is protected very clearly,” said B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations Spencer Chandra Herbert.
“If they understood law, they would know that it’s going to lead to more prosperity in the Comox Valley.”
Rempel said the treaty, which resulted from more than 30 years of negotiations, would mean economic opportunities, certainty, and freedom from the Indian Act for members of her nation – a goal they’ve worked for over decades of negotiations.
Melissa Quocksister, a communications consultant for the K’omoks Treaty team, said the founders of the treaty process, including her grandfather, former Chief Ernie Hardy, have all passed. She wants to see the treaty ratified before the nation loses any more members who have waited to see it completed.
“There were so many people who saw this as an opportunity to leave behind the Indian Act. These are folks who suffered their lives at the hands of residential school teachers, and all they wanted was to make sure that we had something in place that would make sure that would never happen again,” said Quocksister.
“Under our treaty, that will never happen again.”
The Wei Wai Kum First Nation has opposed the treaty, saying it is prepared for litigation if it is ratified as drafted. The nation says the K’ómoks Treaty claims 80 per cent of its traditional territory, which prompted the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs to call for a pause in the ratification process.
Rempel said her nation is working to address overlap issues, adding that negotiations over their biggest area of overlap with the We Wai Kai Nation are expected to be finalized next week.
