Caledonia deadline needed: Ontario

Ontario's Minister of Aboriginal Affairs challenged the federal government yesterday to set a hard deadline to settle a two-year native occupation in Caledonia.

"The Harper government needs to stop hesitating and get on with a solution," Michael Bryant said. "We need them to move it."

Mr. Bryant suggested the federal government alone was responsible for matters being drawn out.

"I am daily speaking with either mayors or councillors or chiefs or councillors from Haudenosaunee Six Nations, or members of the legislature on a regular basis about the level of frustration as to what is happening there," he said.

But federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl rejected Mr. Bryant's accusations and said the province also needed to help solve the problem.

"I've not had anyone, except now Mr. Bryant, say that a deadline is going to help move things along," Mr. Strahl said.

"Frankly negotiation, rather than ultimatums, I think, is the better way to go."

He said the federal government had shown flexibility in negotiations, had negotiators in place and had put "money on the table."

"The only thing the federal government can do is table an offer and negotiate to a settlement," he said.

"Much of the other things that people are frustrated with, whether it be zoning requirements, local bylaws, police enforcement issues are all provincial."

He said the federal government encouraged the province to come to the negotiating table, where he said they had so far "been there as observers."

Mr. Strahl also said Mr. Bryant had not mentioned the deadline to him before.

"That's another puzzle to me," he said, adding that he had tried to organize a meeting with Mr. Bryant yesterday but that it proved impossible for the two to meet.

"In my opinion, this sounds like policy on the fly, or policy made in Question Period, and that is not a thoughtful way to address what is a 200-year-old problem," he said.

Mr. Bryant's comments yesterday were the latest volley in a blame game between provincial and federal governments, and Conservative and Liberal parties, during the negotiation process.

Provincial Conservative leader Bob Runciman suggested on Tuesday that there should be an investigation into whether Mr. Bryant and the Ontario Liberals interfered in how the OPP handled a recent protest flare-up two weeks ago.

Caledonia has been in the media spotlight for the past two years, as protesters have variously blockaded and occupied disputed land south of Hamilton.

The Haudenosaunee Six Nations say they leased the land 200 years ago, while the Canadian government maintains it was an outright purchase.