Adam Olsen on the Wet’suwet’en-Coastal Gaslink standoff
Circulated via Email:
"Dear ***,
Many people have contacted our offices asking what the BC Green Party is doing regarding the Wet’suwet’en-Coastal Gaslink standoff.
Dialogue is a critical part of reconciliation and I have been working behind the scenes to support a peaceful resolution.
Yesterday, I accepted an invitation by the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs to visit their camps in northern BC.
I am honoured to receive the invitation and will be visiting the territory this weekend with the intent of listening and encouraging a peaceful process moving forward.
I have also reached out to the local RCMP detachment.
As a member of a party with nonviolence as a foundational principle, it has been extremely difficult to read the reports coming out of this dispute.
Violence should never be a premeditated solution when dealing with peaceful protesters.
The legislature recently passed Bill 41, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), to create a path forward that respects the human rights of Indigenous peoples.
The Coastal Gaslink Pipeline project was approved under a past framework that we have all agreed does not work.
Now it is time for governments to show that they stand behind the DRIPA principle of collaboration in a clear and transparent way.
Please stay tuned to our social media over the weekend where we’ll be posting updates. I’ll also send another email after I’ve returned next week.
Sincerely,
Adam Olsen
Interim Leader
BC Green Party