SKEENA – BULKLEY VALLEY NDP MP Nathan Cullen says he supports those Gitxsan who oppose an economic benefits deal with Enbridge.
“It is very important to me to stand shoulder to shoulder with the hereditary chiefs and the nation, virtually all of whom clearly do not support the false promises of environmental protection and economic development that Enbridge is selling to northerners,” Cullen said in a release today.
Cullen was reacting to a Dec. 2 announcement by the Gitxsan Treaty Society that hereditary chiefs had signed an economic benefits deal with Enbridge tied to its Northern Gateway oil pipeline plan.
Cullen said he met Dec. 7 with another group of hereditary chiefs and others who oppose the deal.
This same group said earlier in the week it had fired senior treaty society officials who negotiated the Enbridge deal.
They also blockaded the treaty society office in Hazelton.
Cullen is characterizing the treaty society deal with Enbridge as an attempt by the latter to divide and conquer.
“It’s unbelievable that Enbridge would try to pull such a stunt,” said Cullen. “The Gitxsan responded exactly as they should have.”
“Enbridge is obviously a company that will throw around money to push this pipeline through. This deal almost tore a community apart,” said Cullen. “It’s deplorable. Clearly this kind of conquer and divide approach is not going to work.”
The treaty society now has a BC Supreme Court injunction telling protesters to abandon their blockade of the treaty society offices.
