Politicians told stop 'acting like children' and end occupation in Caledonia

(CP) - Federal and provincial politicians should stop acting like children and focus on ending the nine-month aboriginal occupation in Caledonia, Ont., the town's mayor said Wednesday as Ottawa and the province traded shots about who should foot the dispute's $40-million bill.

The day after Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice refused to meet with his provincial counterpart to discuss the occupation and its costs, Marie Trainer said the finger-pointing is exasperating for residents who just want the ordeal to come to an end.

"They are just playing games right now," Trainer said about the escalating war of words. "We're in the middle. We're the ones suffering."

"I'd like them to stop acting like children. I wish they would quit holding Caledonia residents as hostages. It's pretty frustrating."

Although the province purchased the disputed land and is at the negotiating table, Premier Dalton McGuinty has increasingly argued land claims are a federal responsibility, and said Tuesday that Ottawa must "step up to the plate."

That comment prompted Prentice to cancel his meeting with David Ramsay, Ontario's minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, later that evening.

Prentice said Ontario is solely responsible for paying the costs of occupation - now pegged at $40 million for policing, business compensation and the purchase of the disputed land.

"The Constitution is very clear. Property and civil rights, the administration of justice and policing are all provincial responsiblities," Prentice said in an interview.

"What's missing here is the justification for the province to say this is a federal obligation to pay for this. While the federal government has responsibility for Indians, that doesn't override provincial law."

Prentice said he's been working hard to end the "oldest land claim in Canada," appointing fact finders, negotiators and meeting with key provincial and aboriginal leaders to help sort out the dispute.

"I'm prepared to discuss the issues in a serious way with (the province) any time they choose, but I'm not going to be part of a media circus and political grandstanding about the issue," he said.

McGuinty responded to the snub by calling the federal Conservative thin-skinned, and said people shouldn't get into politics if they can't take criticism. A clearly frustrated McGuinty repeated his demand that Ottawa take a lead role in negotiating an end to the dispute.

"They've got to understand, it's not going to go away," McGuinty said. "If it's not Caledonia, it's going to be land claims issues elsewhere across the country. This is an issue that's been percolating on the backburner for a long time now."

People want to see the dispute resolved, McGuinty said.

"They want us to meet," he said. "And I think they want us to respect each other's constitutional responsibilities."

But no new meeting between the two levels of government has been set. In the meantime, Caledonia residents are losing faith.

"They have really lost focus about what this whole thing is about," Trainer said of the politicians. "They're forgetting about the people who are suffering every day - their nerves are shot, they're on tranquillizers, they're on heart medication. It's not a good thing."

McGuinty's ramped-up rhetoric about Ottawa's role in the Caledonia dispute is the latest tough talk about how Ontario is getting short-changed under the federal Conservatives.

That Liberal tactic has backfired, said Conservative John Yakabuski.

"You can't always jump on the senior level of government and say it's their fault," said the Conservative backbencher. "They have to show some leadership here in Ontario as well."

New Democrat Michael Prue said McGuinty has mishandled a difficult occupation.

"There should have been a far greater co-ordination with the federal government from the outset," he said. "Now, it's just caused tension between (the) two levels."