Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in North Vancouver on Thursday to make an announcement about property rights.
He said that Liberals should vote for a Conservative motion to instruct federal lawyers to put property rights first in court arguments and protect homeowners.
“Conservatives are proud to fight for families and businesses facing uncertainty in the wake of Liberals signing deals that threaten private property and banning federal lawyers from putting property rights first in the Cowichan federal court case,” Poilievre said at the media availability.
The announcement comes after the landmark court ruling last October in British Columbia regarding Aboriginal land title over urban lands.
The federal and provincial governments are appealing the B.C. Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of the Quw’utsun Nation, or Cowichan Nation, that found it had “established Aboriginal title” to more than 5.7 square kilometres of land on the Fraser River in Richmond, south of Vancouver.
The City of Richmond has also joined the appeal.
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The ruling declared Crown and city titles on the land are “defective and invalid,” and the granting of private titles on it by the government unjustifiably infringed on the Cowichan title.
That has created confusion and anger among homeowners in the affected area, despite the Cowichan Tribes insisting it has no intention of stripping private title holders of their property.
Earlier this month, Conservatives tabled a motion in the House of Commons, which will be put to a vote on May 25, calling for the Liberal government to reverse a federal litigation guideline that banned its lawyers from defending property rights in the Cowichan case.
Prime Minister Mark Carney struck down the assertion, saying, “private property rights are fundamental in this country, this government will always defend them. That is why we immediately appealed the Cowichan decision.”
Poilievre said on Thursday that every British Columbian should contact their Member of Parliament and tell them to vote yes on Monday in the House of Commons.
“Because B.C. homeowners cannot take Liberal soundbites to the bank, they cannot use Carney’s words as collateral and they cannot protect their homes with another photo op, another promise or another liberal illusion,” he said.
“If Mark Carney really believes private property is fundamental, if it is not just an illusion, then he should act accordingly and vote for our motion. He can defend owners, he can put property rights first, and he can work with us to restore the promise of Canada, a country that is affordable at home, safe at home, and strong at home.”
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