Bulk of B.C. opposes special aboriginal commercial fishing r

Peter O'Neil, CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, May 14, 2007




OTTAWA - Roughly three out of four British Columbians told a federal government-commissioned pollster they oppose special commercial fishing rights for aboriginal Canadians, according to internal documents obtained this week.

The poll was initiated last summer just days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper stunned aboriginal groups, federal bureaucrats and the B.C. government be declaring his government is opposed to "racially divided" fisheries.

Despite the findings and Harper's declaration, the federal government has since gone ahead with West Coast treaties that include exclusive rights to the commercial fishery.

B.C. Conservative MP John Cummins, who obtained the poll and other documents through the Access to Information Act, said he's perplexed the government ignored public opinion.

Cummins is particularly peeved because he alleges the pollster's questions were "distorted" to create encouraging responses in favour of native commercial fishing rights.

"The prime minister made a very clear statement about separate native commercial fisheries and I think it was an unequivocal statement," said Cummins.


http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=d033ae0c-efde-4e1f-b3df-2037fcad8911&k=37387