Leading pollster slams treaty referendum
by CBC 10:45pm Sat Apr 6 '02
article#11248  http://vancouver.indymedia.org

Vancouver - Canadian pollster Angus Reid is condemning the B.C. government's referendum on aboriginal treaties. He says the eight questions are really just motherhood statements designed to evoke a "yes" answer for the government's own purposes.

Reid says it's one of the most amateurish, one-sided attempts to gauge the public will that he's seen in his professional career.

He also calls it a disturbing precedent in terms of a government in Canada being involved in this type of exercise.

"If this were the Quebec government putting out a poll of this sort on the matter of sovereignty with questions as one-sided and loaded as these are, I think there would be a national hue and cry," he says.

So, to some extent, shame on the government of British Columbia for putting this very one-sided serious questions out to the people of B.C," says Reid.

B.C.'s Attorney General Geoff Plant, who is responsible for the referendum, says he's satisfied with the phrasing of the questions. He argues that this is an exercise for the public, not for academics or pollsters.

"If you want to spend time going through each of the questions. I think that you can see there are real choices involved [sic]," says Plant.

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Please voice your concern for the First Nations people of BC. Let the New Error NeoLiberal government know the world is watching, and that racism is racism, and occupied territory, still occupied territory. FYI only two treaties have been negotiated with First Nations in British Columbia since confederation in 1871.

Since that time the Federal and Provincial governments have stalled even as Aboriginal People went to London to seek negotiations. The colonial governments also outlawed Indigenous political organization on treaty negotiations, the potlatch and in general, carried out genocide.

Now the Neoliberals are spending up to $25 million on an opinion poll and whipping up racism. First Nations and church groups are calling on a boycott of the referendum.

Read more at  http://vancouver.indymedia.org/ and  http://vancouver.indymedia.org/ and  http://seattle.indymedia.org/

This referendum is a stalling tactic and whipping up racism against Kanada's "Palestinian People". Send an email to let the BC Liberals know the world is watching  http://www.voiceofbc.ca/email_mla/default.asp

Write to the big pollster himself, Geoff Plant at
 http://www.gov.bc.ca/tno/cont/

Email the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien, at  pm@pm.gc.ca and  pmo@pm.gc.ca, and copy to  Nault.R@parl.gc.ca, the Hon. R. Nault, Minister responsible for Kanada's Indian Act.

Remind them this opinion poll is a racist waste of money, and they are morally and ethically obligated by history to sit down at the table and negotiate treaties with First Nations in British Columbia.

You can vote no to this referendum at  http://www.sqwalk.com/voteno.htm

Learn about Sun Peaks Ski Resort and the Skwelkwek'welt Nation at  http://www.actiongroup.de/projects/skwelkwekwelt.html

Educate yourself on what is still left to negotiate after first contact in the "New World" at  http://www.delgamuukw.org/

No Peace, No Justice