Latest news with #Treaty
Cision Canada
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Canada Can't Water Down Ontario's Wetland Loss in Global Treaty Talks
TORONTO, July 23, 2025 /CNW/ - We acknowledge that there are 46 treaties and other agreements that cover the territory now called Ontario and our roles and responsibilities as Treaty partners. We recognize the inherent rights and responsibilities of Indigenous Nations, who have cared for and governed Turtle Island since time immemorial - As talks begin in Zimbabwe at the 15th meeting of the parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Ontario Nature is myth busting the Government of Ontario's contributions as described in Canada's national report. Southern Ontario has lost over 70% of its original wetlands and ongoing losses remove a vital defense against flooding and pollution for communities across the province. However, Canada's National Report to Ramsar COP15 paints a rosy picture of a Government of Ontario that recognizes the importance of wetlands and is acting to conserve them: Myth #1: "Ontario's Biodiversity Strategy contributes to national efforts and recognizes the importance of wetlands on the landscape." Reality: The Government of Ontario has systematically weakened protections for wetlands over the past five years. It also hid a report by its own working group on how the province can contribute to the national protected areas target of 30% by 2030. Currently, less than 11% of lands and waters across Ontario are protected, lagging far behind many other provinces. The recent passage of Bill 5 further threatens wetlands and other vital habitats. Myth #2: "Conservation Authorities are empowered by Ontario's Conservation Authorities Act to regulate development" in and around wetlands. Reality: The Government of Ontario made a series of changes that eroded the ability of Conservation Authorities to regulate development and conserve wetlands. This left communities across Ontario at an elevated risk of flooding, pollution and unsustainable development. According to Ontario Nature Conservation Campaigns Coordinator Sarah Hasenack: "From reducing flood risk, to maintaining clean water, to sustaining beloved wildlife, we all have a stake in conserving Ontario's wetlands. With enough political will, the Government of Ontario can step up to effectively protect people, wetlands and wildlife." About Ontario Nature protects wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement. A charitable organization, Ontario Nature represents more than 30,000 members and supporters, and 150 member groups across Ontario. For more information, visit Background
Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Iwi engagement should have come ‘much earlier'
Southland District Council has proposed that the region's four councils combine into two unitary authorities. PHOTO: APL FILES Southland District Council did not engage with its Treaty partners when formulating a bold new proposal to amalgamate southern councils, a document has revealed. But mayor Rob Scott has defended the process, saying there will still be opportunities for providing feedback. Recently, the Local Government Commission announced it would investigate a potential reorganisation of the region's four councils — Southland District Council, Invercargill City Council, Gore District Council and Environment Southland. The initiative was spearheaded by Mr Scott with a goal of saving money and improving efficiency. A determination document released by the commission showed the council failed to engage with both Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku and Te Ao Mārama Inc — a company which represents the four Southland rūnanga in resource management. The oversight came to light after the commission reached out to Te Ao Mārama to request feedback on the potential reorganisation. Te Ao Mārama told the commission that Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku was not opposed to an investigation, but noted the council did not engage with either party in developing the initiative. The company said the initiative could impact "matters of importance" to the iwi and there was not enough information for them to form an opinion on preferred options. Te Ao Mārama kaiwhakahaere kaupapa taiao Dean Whaanga told Local Democracy Reporting his group would have liked to be engaged "much earlier". Regardless, they supported the commission's investigation and were approaching it with an open mind. Te Ao Mārama looked forward to sharing their mātauranga (knowledge) and insights with the commission on behalf of Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku, he said. "We have a good relationship with the Southland District Council and work constructively together." Mr Scott said he reached out to Ngāi Tahu's chair early in the piece but believed the timing must not have been right for them to respond. The proposal was not in its final stages and both parties would have an opportunity to feed into the final piece of work, he said. "It's not a process that you do every week, but I'm comfortable with the way that we've gone about it." The commission's investigation is expected to take at least 12 months. • LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Putting Patient Need Ahead Of Treaty Ideology
Welcoming the first-reading passage of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Amendment Bill, ACT Health spokesperson Todd Stephenson says: "We fund the health system to deliver services, not ideology. But Labour saddled Health New Zealand with Treaty provisions that effectively divided patients by race and distracted from quality, timely care. "ACT says services should be delivered on the basis of patient need and value-for-money – not race. We scrapped the Māori Health Authority, and now we're patching up the rest of Labour's Treaty-obsessed health reforms. "We're stripping out requirements for health entities to be focused on Māori health outcomes, mātauranga Māori, and 'cultural safety'. These settings have led to compliance nightmares where even Chinese acupuncturists are required to demonstrate expertise in tikanga. "Perhaps most importantly – and incredibly, forgotten by Labour – we're introducing an objective for services to be effective and timely. And we're restoring accountability to taxpayers with a requirement for specific targets in the Government Policy Statement on Health. "Kiwis waiting for a hip operation or stuck in the emergency department don't care whether their practitioner has a tikanga-centric worldview. They just want quality healthcare, quickly. That's what we're delivering."
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Support for South Island village name change
By Pokere Paewai and Samantha Gee of RNZ Three iwi at the top of the South Island have put their support behind a proposal to change the name of the village of St Arnaud to Rotoiti. The move is supported by the iwis Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. New Zealand Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the board had received the proposal. "The proposer has been advised that they must consult further with the local community before the proposal can be processed further," Shaw said. The village of St Arnaud has a permanent population of slightly more than 100 people. It sits at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes and takes its name from the nearby St Arnaud range, which in turn takes its name from the French soldier and marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud. Rangitāne o Wairau General Manager Corey Hebberd said the three iwi, all descending from the waka Kurahaupō, had a strong and proud connection to Rotoiti and the surrounding area. It's a specific area mentioned in their Treaty settlements. "Providing support to the name was just a no-brainer for us really. We know that it's an area that our people have long frequented for kai, it's a place that they've been sustained, but it's also a place that's along an important journey for us in terms of heading between Wairau and the coast and other parts of the South Island," Hebberd said. It's not the first attempt to change St Arnaud's name: another proposal was rejected in 2009 according to the Nelson Mail . Hebberd said Rangitāne did some research and were able to find records that showed the use of the name Rotoiti for the area long before St Arnaud. "So, we were able to come across a letter that one of our tūpuna Paraone Taitua sent to Governer Eyre in 1851 in which he references Rotoiti as that place name," Hebberd said. Annette Walker is part of a small group which made the current name change proposal to the Geographic Board. She is optimistic the change will happen and said it would be a huge milestone for the village. Walker called Jacques Leroy de St Arnaud a "dreadful man" and believed some residents would support a change to Rotoiti. "It's like a festering sore that still arises every now and then from the old residents of Lake Rotoiti and they still call it Rotoiti," she said. Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud's wartime exploits in Algeria included suffocating 500 Arab tribesmen in a cave by sealing its exits. Hebberd said it was important to acknowledge some of the actions of the man, but the name Rotoiti would also be more reflective of the area itself. Hebberd said he grew up in the Wairau region and would frequently head up to Lake Rotoiti, and the area near the lake was simply referred to by many as Rotoiti. "It's very infrequent that I hear it referred to as St Arnaud. I respect the fact that there will be community members who do call it St Arnaud and who have an affinity with that name, but given the past associated with that name and also the fact that it's so close Lake Rotoiti, the township sits on Lake Rotoiti it makes sense for the area to carry that name."
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Iwi support name change for South Island village
By Pokere Paewai and Samantha Gee of RNZ Three iwi at the top of the South Island have put their support behind a proposal to change the name of the village of St Arnaud to Rotoiti. The move is supported by the iwis Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. New Zealand Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the board had received the proposal. "The proposer has been advised that they must consult further with the local community before the proposal can be processed further," Shaw said. The village of St Arnaud has a permanent population of slightly more than 100 people. It sits at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes and takes its name from the nearby St Arnaud range, which in turn takes its name from the French soldier and marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud. Rangitāne o Wairau General Manager Corey Hebberd said the three iwi, all descending from the waka Kurahaupō, had a strong and proud connection to Rotoiti and the surrounding area. It's a specific area mentioned in their Treaty settlements. "Providing support to the name was just a no-brainer for us really. We know that it's an area that our people have long frequented for kai, it's a place that they've been sustained, but it's also a place that's along an important journey for us in terms of heading between Wairau and the coast and other parts of the South Island," Hebberd said. It's not the first attempt to change St Arnaud's name: another proposal was rejected in 2009 according to the Nelson Mail . Hebberd said Rangitāne did some research and were able to find records that showed the use of the name Rotoiti for the area long before St Arnaud. "So, we were able to come across a letter that one of our tūpuna Paraone Taitua sent to Governer Eyre in 1851 in which he references Rotoiti as that place name," Hebberd said. Annette Walker is part of a small group which made the current name change proposal to the Geographic Board. She is optimistic the change will happen and said it would be a huge milestone for the village. Walker called Jacques Leroy de St Arnaud a "dreadful man" and believed some residents would support a change to Rotoiti. "It's like a festering sore that still arises every now and then from the old residents of Lake Rotoiti and they still call it Rotoiti," she said. Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud's wartime exploits in Algeria included suffocating 500 Arab tribesmen in a cave by sealing its exits. Hebberd said it was important to acknowledge some of the actions of the man, but the name Rotoiti would also be more reflective of the area itself. Hebberd said he grew up in the Wairau region and would frequently head up to Lake Rotoiti, and the area near the lake was simply referred to by many as Rotoiti. "It's very infrequent that I hear it referred to as St Arnaud. I respect the fact that there will be community members who do call it St Arnaud and who have an affinity with that name, but given the past associated with that name and also the fact that it's so close Lake Rotoiti, the township sits on Lake Rotoiti it makes sense for the area to carry that name."
