Jean LaRose
Media Relations / Relations avec les médias
Assembly of First Nations / Assemblée des Premières Nations
September 21, 2000
THE HONOURABLE BOB RAE
PREPARED TO CONTINUE
MEDIATION PROCESS IN BURNT CHURCH DISPUTE
The Honourable Bob Rae, who accepted to be a mediator in the current dispute in Burnt Church, has stated that he is still willing to resume mediation. & I am prepared to continue as mediator as long as I have the confidence of both parties and as long as both parties feel that mediation is useful, stated Mr. Rae.
He issued a statement earlier today (attached) in which he denied that he had quit as mediator.
The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Matthew Coon Come, is asking the federal government to refrain from confrontation and to maintain an open dialogue with the community of Burnt Church to find a peaceful resolution to the dispute about the lobster fishery.
The mediation process is the only possible peaceful solution at this point. I urge the Prime Minister and the Minister of Fisheries to work with all the parties to resolve this quickly. The government has shown extreme bad faith in the current dispute. In every instance where an understanding was established between the
parties, the federal government has been the party to break the agreement, stated National Chief Coon Come.
I urge the government to enter the process and to give it a chance to make it work. That has yet to happen.
The Chief of the Burnt Church First Nations, Wilbur Dedam, is also confident that the process would lead to a peaceful resolution if only it was given a chance. The Minister has done all he could to ensure that the process could not succeed. I remain committed to work with the mediator and the government. The community is also supportive of the process and will support it. The government must now show that they want to work to a peaceful resolution, said Chief Dedam.
For additional information, contact
Jean LaRose at (613) 241-6789, ext. 251 (jlarose@afn.ca) or by cell at (613) 795-9664.