Atleo Proposal Offers Harper Way Out
For those people hoping Theresa Spence will get out of this hunger strike alive, or simply too weary of all the coverage and wanting it to be over, today’s modest proposal by Assembly of First Nations head Shawn Atleo offers an apparent way out via an olive branch to Stephen Harper: attend a Crown-First Nations summit later this month on the first anniversary of a similar summit held last year.
I say non-proposal because I’m really not sure a second summit will accomplish what a first one didn’t, except insofar as Atleo (1) wants to be seen as presenting a solution that will allow Spence to bow out gracefully and save her life, which certainly isn’t nothing, and (2) wants to see his organization play a major role as mediator in establishing what presumably via this precedent would become a regular annual conference between the Prime Minister and First Nations chiefs. Which again isn’t nothing.
It’s unlikely, as I say, that such a convention will lead to anything significant from this government. If it is unwilling to agree to so much as a face-to-face meeting between the Governor-General and Spence during the pressure of a hunger strike, it seems unlikely that the government will agree to anything more substantial once the pressure of the hunger strike is lifted, either. Still, it offers one of the last gracious ways out for both sides. Harper can agree to a new meeting based on last year’s precedent without being seen to concede to Spence (which he would be, implicitly), and Spence will have accomplished something like the demands that led to this hunger strike. Although Atleo may get most of the credit.
If this offer is rejected, the consesquences became decidedly more uncertain. Already a second aboriginal elder has joined Spence in her hunger strike. The more people get involved, the more complicated the agenda gets, and the more difficult this situation will be to resolve. At that point the Prime Minister’s strategy will presumably be — as it apparently already is — to simply wait out the protesters and hope it’s a flash-in-the-pan like the Occupy Wall Street movement. Assuming she is determined to hold to this course too, such a strategy is likely to end with Spence’s death. That’s an outcome that a responsible government could have foreseen and prevented weeks ago.
Unfortunately, white Canada appears for the most part as uninterested in a resolution to this as Harper himself is, judging from the breathtaking explosion of racist shillitry in the nation’s newspapers. The latest anonymous editorial Postmedia pronouncement downgrades the charges laid against Spence from “terrorism” to mere “blackmail,” which is still silly, and then adds the following:
what must be made clear is that the prime minister of Canada can’t be compelled to respond to the threats of protesters, whether they number in the single digits or the thousands.
Yes, that’s the Postmedia vision of democracy in a nutshell for you: no matter how big a protest gets, no government should ever give in to the demands of the people, never ever.
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the salamander horde
I fail to see ‘a way out’ for Stephen Harper regarding Chief Theresa Spence and her challenge. I don’t anticipate him even considering ‘a way out’. Here is why.. He can’t ‘back up’ .. and he’s on a one way express ticket.
Think of Canada’s political parties and any attached (elected) government as trains.. Yes, with locomotives, railcars and even a caboose. The elected government and attached political party have certain exclusive ‘right of way’ or priority railway track privilege. A majority government can really dictate or hog the main line and any trunk lines as well. You could say Parliament and the House of Commons were railway track and there were certain rules
The opposition parties get to use the railway tracks too, although that’s dependent on their number of elected MP’s. Obviously the Opposition could enforce or negotiate track privileges with a minority government. Otherwise a non confidence vote would take the keys to the track away from the defeated government. That was until Stephen Harper decided he could prorogue Parliament, ‘take’ a majority and take over the track.. exclude all other trains.
Thus we discovered The Harper Government as a runaway train, no longer responsive to law, track controls, red lights, limits. That was then ..
Well.. this is now… and its even worse than we thought. The Harper train has gone off the rails. They’ve discovered they can essentially drive the runaway train anywhere ! The railway track and switching system, control lights are no longer required. They can smash across farms, cities, roads and bridges. Run on the grass, dirt or pavement.
Guess who’s the crazed engineer ? And behind him the glossy diner cars of the Ministers, then in order of royal affection and loyalty come loaded livestock cars of braying backbench MP’s. The caboose is the Speaker of the House and the Governor General trying to hold onto the Mace along with the Sergeant At Arms and a few pageboys n girls.
How does this out of control mechanical monstrosity pull up to a teepee? It has shown it cannot and will not stop for anything. Contempt of Parliament is irrelevant, electoral fraud meaningless, environment something to batter through, the courts and treaties mere impediments to commerce and Democracy was abandoned at a deserted station long ago.. by a train headed west to Calgary and next stop China.
Sixth Estate
I know how this “train” works.
However, Atleo’s proposal gives Harper the option of agreeing to attend a meeting which was not directly demanded by Spence and which could be framed as continuing an already-established precedent. We’re running out of alternatives that meet those conditions.
It won’t solve any problems, and it won’t make anyone happy per se, but it would save Spence’s life and it would get Harper out of his predicament, which is why I think it’s at least plausible that he would take this step. Unless he’s still willing to play out his initial gamble that Spence will give up this hunger strike before she dies.
the salamander horde
The elders will not accept such a sacrifice. Chief Theresa Spence will be taken away soon by warriors and elders into the tribe to safety, to heal.
A brilliant warrior such as her, in the 4th week of her quest.. allowed to be ground against the dull stone of Stephen Harper and equally dull underlings until she becomes unconscious ? That will not happen.
This woman is surrounded by warm, observant, trustworthy First Nation exemplars.. To think she is not supported or in council with the elders is non-sensical.
Sixth Estate
That would work too, if your assessment is correct, but unfortunately in the minds of Harper and his followers, it will only confirm what they have been saying all along: that this sort of protest wasn’t worth paying any attention to because she was never really going to die and it’s just a PR stunt.
Believe me, I won’t shed any tears over any ending that prevents Spence’s death. I won’t. But the fact that Harper anticipates something like what you’re predicting is exactly why he sees no need to meet with her.
Troy
Chief Spence has already declined Atleo’s proposal.
Unfortunately, newspapers across the country have already begun to mis-characterize Chief Spence’s intention. She’s ‘rebuffed’ Atleo. She’s ‘rejected’ Atleo.
I disagree with Canada’s newspapers. In my opinion, Chief Spence has merely declined Atleo’s invitation, because she won’t cease her hunger strike until after the meeting has actually been held, with Harper having been both in attendance and participating. January 24th is still 18 days to go.
And, I don’t wish to state this, but if Chief Spence has given three days notice, then this means she believes her health and strength as it is now will only last until the sixth of January. After then, her life will truly be at terrible risk.
Sixth Estate
Not being a medical doctor I can only speculate, but I think we’re in kind of uncharted territory. Hunger strikes usually last longer; on the other hand, I don’t know that any of ever been conducted outdoors and mid-winter before.
I lost confidence in the media to accurately cover even a simple story long ago, so I can’t say I’m surprised, but you’re right. Given the way Spence has worded her demands, Atleo’s proposal is irrelevant. Harper hasn’t agreed to it in any event, and the agenda of this supposed meeting hasn’t been specified.
Julie
On Harper’s X-mas interview, he declared himself a devout Christian. A Christian? Not on your Nelly. Harper doesn’t have a decent bone in his body. In no way does Harper deserve a way out. Harper is a litany of, lies, deceit, corruption, thefts, dirty tactics, dirty politics and he cheats to win. Harper deserves to be the one starving.
However, our fear for Chief Spence is growing with each passing day. When her inner organs start shutting down, she will die.
Chief Spence can take comfort in, the every day Canadians have no rights either. Harper is handing Canada over to Communist China, our resources and our resource jobs. Harper’s asinine omnibus bill also says. China can sue any Canadians, blocking China’s intrusion into Canada. China sued in BC to take the mining jobs.
Harper idolizes China. The poor in China have no Human Rights either. China opened up with machine gun fire, on students some years back. Child laborers in China, only earn pennies a day.
Harper the Christian, really could care less about F.N. waterways, fish, nor their hunting grounds. Chairman Harper only cares about, Chairman Harper and China.