Haldimand "Toby Barrett still wants an Answer from Minister Bryant"
Hi Toby here,
Today in the Legislature I once again had the chance to question the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs regarding government help for homebuilders facing Haudenosaunee Development Institute development fee extortion.
Bryant ignores homebuilders handcuffed by HDI demands Minister blows his top when asked to increase police funding
Queen’s Park— Ontario’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister once again turned his back on homebuilders facing extortion fee demands before blowing his top when pressed to increase funding to keep the peace at ongoing construction disruptions.
Minister Bryant’s unparliamentary explosion came after a pair of questions from Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett, in which Barrett asked the Minister to expand on answers he gave yesterday regarding the government stance on homebuilders being charged “development fees” by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI).
“Work on the Hampton Hotel in Brantford has been shut down on eight separate days by Haudenosaunee Development Institute protesters demanding payment - Minister, this is just one of several construction sites in Brantford shut down by protesters demanding extortion fees,” explained Barrett. “Yesterday, Minister, you said you are “going to work” with Six Nations and municipalities and developers. We’ve had two years of construction shut-downs; when will you start working with area homebuilders?”
While Bryant responded by saying he “continues” to work with homebuilders, he was unclear when he will meet to discuss their difficulties with a government that tells builders not to pay HDI fees and then leaves them to fend for themselves when HDI protestors come to collect.
Barrett came back with a supplementary question to expand on Bryant’s direct quote a day previous indicating, “government has a role to play not in terms of informing police but, as we disclosed, providing the funding necessary.”
“Mr. Mike Quattrociocchi asks if he were to bring his back-hoe to Queens Park would police stand by in the same fashion as in Caledonia and Brantford?” Barrett relayed. “On policing Minister, the Brantford police services need help. When are you going to stop blaming Ottawa and step up to fund and resource the extra policing required at these confrontations in Brantford?
With that the Minister lost decorum, refusing again to directly answer the question and fell back on giving his version of differences between the government and opposition approach, and then shouting “Shame on you” to Mr. Barrett.
For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629
Development fees
Mr. Toby Barrett: A question for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs: Work on the Hampton Hotel in Brantford has now been shut down on eight separate days by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute demanding payment. This is just one of several construction sites in Brantford shut down by protesters demanding extortion fees. Aside from the Hampton Hotel, there are the Mission Estates on Garden Avenue, First Urban at Gretzky and Henry and the Grand River Avenue site of the home builder Mike Quattrociocchi.
Yesterday, Minister, you said you are “going to work” with First Nations municipalities and developers . We’ve had two years of construction shutdowns. Minister, when will you start working with area home builders?
Hon. Michael Bryant: Yes, we’ll continue to work with area home builders, and we’ll continue to work with municipal leaders and yes, we will continue to work with Six Nations leadership. I’ve never heard the official opposition talk about any of those members working with Six Nations leadership.
We’re not going to pick and choose who in that community we’re going to work with to try and make progress. I’ve expressed to band council at Six Nations, I have expressed to the confederacy in the Haudenosaunee Six Nations that obviously we all need to treat each other with the mutual respect on all sides as we work through these issues, and I will continue to do so.
Mr. Toby Barrett: Well, Minister, the home builders do have questions. They obviously have questions on the land dispute negotiations and progress or lack thereof, the demands of HDI and the status of property rights in the province of Ontario. They want to meet with you face to face; your YouTube publicity stunts just don’t cut it with the business community. What options do they have?
Mr. Quattrociocchi has a question. If he was to bring his backhoe to Queen’s Park, would the police stand by in the same fashion as in Caledonia and as in Brantford? On policing, Minister, Brantford police services need help. When are you going to stop blaming Ottawa, step up, fund and resource the extra policing required as a result of these confrontations in the city of Brantford?
Hon. Michael Bryant: Well, there you go, Mr. Speaker. You heard it pretty clearly right there. There’s a difference between Premier McGuinty’s approach on this side of the House and the John Tory approach on that side of the House.
On this side of the House, we understand that the police are independent of the government. It’s not the Premier’s police or the executive’s police. It’s an independent police force. It’s a civil society.
Over there, the former Premier and leader of their party—we know what his approach to this was: “Get those Indians out of the park,” he said. That is not our approach, and that will never be our approach. We will continue to follow recommendations of the Ipperwash commission and not take any so-called leadership from the official opposition. Shame on you.
Mr. Bryant is a shameful example of a politician considering he used to be the Attorney General.
ReplyDeleteWith imbeciles like this at the helm no wonder there are so many nasty jokes about lawyers.
Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteWhen Minister Bryant came to Caledonia his assistant tooks name of residents that would like to receive a phone call from Bryant, as she stated he felt it important to hear from the people.
I put my name on that list and to this date I have received "no" call.
It seems Bryant is more interested in the filming industry than doing his job.
Mr. Bryant now feels that if he used the law to stop the extortion of the HDI that the communities would be further divided. Can you believe it. In one breath he says the law is the law. In another breath he brings up a lame excuse for not enforcing the law.
ReplyDeleteEarth to Mr. Bryant, the division of the communities is directly related to the lack of law enforcement and no other reason. Most people want the land claims settled, but would really like to feel safe and protected in the meantime. Who is protecting Bryant in all this?????
Hi Toby here, after eight questions in the Legislature I have finally gotten one straight answer from the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs as to government's stance on HDI development fee demands. Now the question is, "what is government prepared to do about it?"
ReplyDeletePlease see attached.
For immediate release:
March 26, 2008
Eight questions later, Aboriginal Affairs Minister admits
HDI extortion fees should “NOT” be paid
Still no word on government action
Queen’s Park— After eight recorded questions in the Ontario Legislature, Ontario’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister has finally answered MPP Toby Barrett’s queries as to government’s stance on Haudenosaunee Development Institute development fees.
“The only development fees that ought to be paid by anyone in this province are the development fees that one would pay to the local municipality,” Minister Bryant finally admitted before directing that homebuilders faced with fee demands to, “absolutely, obviously not pay it.”
The response was the first time the government has stated on record in the Ontario Legislature that HDI fee demands should not be paid. The precedent was set in answer to Mr. Barrett’s supplementary question this afternoon in which he asked what homebuilders are supposed to do:
“These builders don’t know how to handle HDI. It seems to them like a no-win situation. If they pay the application fee of up to $7,000, what are the subsequent development fees? Who do they rely on? Who is going to let them know whether they own their land or not? And whether they will be protested or not by perhaps yet another native group?” Barrett asked. “We know the police are not laying charges - my question to you, sir, is what is your government doing about this extortion by HDI?”
However, the Minister was mute on any action government would take to remedy the situation. Similarly the Minister refused to comment on the Criminal Code definition of “extortion” when pressed in the first question from Barrett.
“Minister, as you know, builders on the Grand River are having their projects held up by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute unless they pay money to HDI.” Barrett reported. “According to the Criminal Code of Canada, extortion is defined as one who ‘with intent to obtain anything, by threats, accusations, menaces or violence induces or attempts to induce any person, ... to do anything or cause anything to be done.’’ - Minister, do these actions by HDI not fit the legal definition of extortion as in criminal code?”
Barrett says he plans to continue pressing government for straight answers on how homebuilders should proceed when faced with HDI extortion.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629
Development fees
Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. Minister, as you know, builders on the Grand River are having their projects held up by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute unless they pay money to HDI. According to the Criminal Code of Canada, extortion is defined as one who “with intent to obtain anything, by threats, accusations, menaces or violence induces or attempts to induce any person, ... to do anything or cause anything to be done.” Minister, do these actions by HDI not fit the legal definition of extortion as in the criminal code?
Hon. Michael Bryant: The good news is that it’s not MPP’ in the Legislature that interpret the criminal code; it’s police and prosecutors that interpret the criminal code. I will not do so. I am surprised that the member would continue to do so, notwithstanding the Ipperwash Commission findings.
One of the untold stories about what is happening in that part of the province, is the work that is being done by MPP Dave Levac. Not only is Mr. Levac bringing the community together through meetings that I’ve spoken of before, but he’s constantly on the telephone with municipal leaders, with business leaders in the community. He’s talking with Six Nation; he’s talking with everybody. He’s trying to come up with solutions, something that that member should be trying to do as well.
Mr. Toby Barrett: The police are not laying charges. Spring is upon us, the frost is out of the ground, and builders have their employees and bulldozers are ready to go. These builders don’t know how to handle HDI. It seems to them like a no-win situation. If they pay the application fee of up to $7,000, what are the subsequent development fees? Who do they rely on? Who is going to let them know whether they own their land or not? And whether they will be protested or not by perhaps yet another native group? We know the police are not laying charges. My question to you is what is your government doing about this extortion by HDI?
Hon. Michael Bryant: I will say this about that: The member knows, or ought to know, that in fact the only development fees that ought to be paid by anyone in this province are the development fees that one would pay to the local municipality. In fact, if there’s anybody who suggests that any other fees ought to be paid, it is our recommendation that they absolutely, obviously, not pay it.
Secondly, what are we going to do? We have to bring a solution to this 200-year-old dispute between the federal government, on the one hand, and Six Nations, on the other hand. That’s why the province is at the table doing that. That’s why I was speaking with Chief McNaughton and Chief Montour on this very subject on Monday, and I’ll be speaking with them again later this afternoon on that, as I continue to speak to the mayor of Brantford, as well. We’ll keep on trying to find solutions and we won’t give up.
Michael Bryant cannot claim ignorance of the Law. He doesn't have to interpet the law. Toby told him what under the law constitutes extortion. Bryant needs to find a solution that stops HDI and allows legal development to proceed. Doing anything less is dishonoring his role to the thousands of Ontarians who are not allowed input into the landclaims or to be part of the solution. Only those holding the authority and power of the government can be instrumental in seeing the laws they made are properly and efficiently enforced.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for Michael there is no one else to go to so to speak to pass the buck to this time. It is Bryant and McGuinty's job to see that Ontario is safe from crime. Get your act together boys.