Barrett registers dissatisfaction with Samsung/Ontario/Six Nations land lease deal 

QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett will be back at it again to attempt to get answers to government’s involvement with a land lease deal that will see crown land lease payments in Haldimand County diverted to Six Nations.

Barrett demanded a late show debate following his questions in the Ontario Legislature this morning on the deal announced by Samsung and Six Nations last week. The agreement paves the way for wind and solar projects across Haldimand County with $55 million going to Six Nations allegedly to prevent future wind turbine protests.

“We know, whether it be militant confrontations or imposing wind turbines on unwilling communities, your knee-jerk reaction is to not only write a cheque but to give away the farm” Barrett began. “Think of Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, or handing over 300 acres of the Burtch correctional property to Six Nations, and now laundering land lease money from crown land at South Cayuga to Six Nations, all to buy peace for the Samsung deal in Haldimand county.

“Six Nations elected chief Montour is quoted in the Teka newspaper: ‘Through this process, the Province of Ontario has admitted that Six Nations has land ownership.’ Premier, there’s no land claim in South Cayuga. Why would you set the precedent of assigning land lease money to Six Nations?”

While the Premier and his Cabinet Ministers refused to even acknowledge the questions of precedent, Barrett again attempted to have the Premier address further concerns in his follow-up question.

“Premier, here’s your energy minister who has indicated the agreement has nothing to do with government,” announced Barrett. “However, following your deal with Samsung and Six Nations, elected Chief Bill Montour said a letter from the Minister of Infrastructure states that the lease from the land surface will be turned over to Six Nations.

“Premier, the chief has the letter. Why has this land lease precedent been set?”

Again, the Premier and the Energy Minister refused to answer the question, choosing to bounce the responsibility over to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs who also made no attempt to address Barrett’s query.

Following Question Period, Barrett submitted his “notice of dissatisfaction”, leading to the scheduling of a late show debate.

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LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO Tuesday 5 June 2012 ABORIGINAL LAND DISPUTE

Mr. Toby Barrett: Speaker, to the Premier. We know, whether it be militant confrontations or imposing wind turbines on unwilling communities, your knee-jerk reaction is to not only write a cheque but to give away the farm. Think of Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, or handing over 300 acres of the Burtch correctional property to Six Nations, and now laundering land lease money from crown land at South Cayuga to Six Nations, all to buy peace for the Samsung deal in Haldimand county. Six Nations elected chief Montour is quoted in the Teka newspaper: “Through this process, the Province of Ontario has admitted that Six Nations has land ownership.” Premier, there’s no land claim in South Cayuga. Why would you set the precedent of assigning land lease money to Six Nations?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy. Hon. Christopher Bentley: I’m going to share the supplementary with my colleague the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. The Samsung strategic investment in the province of Ontario presents a remarkable—

Interjections. The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I don’t like what I’m hearing. Minister. Hon. Christopher Bentley: It’s a remarkable opportunity, an opportunity for the people of Ontario to receive the benefit of 16,000 jobs, $7 billion worth of investment, three manufacturing facilities already set up in Tillsonburg, in Windsor and in Toronto, with another one to come. It also presents an opportunity for those with whom Samsung and their partners will contract, an opportunity to benefit from the investment. Six Nations has reached an agreement, an arrangement with Samsung that will provide many long-term benefits to Six Nations over the years to come.

Mr. Toby Barrett: Premier, here’s your energy minister who has indicated the agreement has nothing to do with government. However, following your deal with Samsung and Six Nations, elected Chief Bill Montour said a letter from the Minister of Infrastructure states that the lease from the land surface will be turned over to Six Nations. That is unprecedented. They have always maintained we have no right to that land.’”

So which is it, Premier? Is the government involved in the agreement or not? Is this about handing over lease money to Six Nations or handing over crown land, all the while sticking Haldimand county with wind towers and property devaluations? As one of my constituents indicated, “They got the gold mine; we got the shaft.”

Premier, the chief has the letter. Why has this land lease precedent been set? Hon. Christopher Bentley: Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the member opposite is talking about specifics, and I think the Minister of Energy has addressed those.

What I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, is that the other thing that the member is talking about is a relationship, and the relationship between government and First Nations, all of the First Nations in the Six Nations. I think what’s happening is we’re the party that is implementing the recommendations of Ipperwash, as the Minister of Finance is saying. We are very clear that we need to work with all of the community and Six Nations, Mr. Speaker. It’s extremely important to the future economic development in that community that the government have a good working relationship, that Samsung is able to develop this project. But to have a local member who is doing nothing but dividing and stirring the—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Interjections. The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It has become evident to me that I will now start warning, and you know, one warning only. NOTICE OF DISSATISFACTION The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Haldimand–Norfolk has given notice of his dissatisfaction with an answer to his question given by the Minister of Energy concerning the assignment of land lease payments from the ORC land in South Cayuga to Six Nations. This matter will be debated today at 6 p.m.