'We were lied to': Muskrat Falls hunger striker confronts justice minister

It's been one year since Billy Gauthier ended his hunger strike in protest of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project, but he is still dissatisfied with what he views as government inaction.

Gauthier, who was instrumental in bringing Muskrat Falls protests to a fever pitch last year, confronted Justice and Public Safety Minister Andrew Parsons duringthe Labrador Justice Summit on Monday.

The minister had come out of Hotel North 2 to speak with a smallgathering of members of the Labrador Land Protectors group.

"The only reason why we started eating again was because we were told that the scientific studies that need to be done, that have to be done, will be done," Gauthier told Parsons.

Billy Gauthier confronts Andrew Parsons

7 years ago

Duration 1:46

He called off his hunger strike on the promise government would look into methylmercury, but says so far, he's heard nothing

"We were told that we didn't have to worry about it anymore.Isn't that unjust?"

Nalcor did begin tolower water levelsat the Muskrat Falls reservoir in June, an action it agreed to at the height of last year's protest, butit was never lowered beneath 20.3 metres because of fears of riverbank erosion.

Gauthierechoed a concern from the Nunatsiavut government that the provincial government and Nalcor arenot holding up its end of the bargainwhen it comesto methylmercury mitigation in the Muskrat Falls reservoir.

"We were lied to by our provincial government and we had our backs turned on us by our own federal government," Gauthiersaid.

Hunger strike

8 years ago

Duration 2:40

Inuk artist Billy Gauthier is on a hunger strike until NALCOR clears all vegetation from an area to be flooded for a reservoir for the Muskrat Falls project.

The provincial government did assemble an independent expert advisory committee,with representation from all three Indigenous groups, all levels of government and Nalcor, but Gauthierdoesn't like the direction it's been going in either.

"We were also told this independent expert advisory committee was going to oversee the project [and]not just give recommendations," Gauthiersaid. "Now I find out from actually a member of the committee that they can actually only give recommendations."

Parsons told Gauthierhe was not part of the talks that led to the agreement between the Indigenous groups and the provincial government last year but that he would take his concerns back to St. John's.

"You at least deserve that," Parsons told Gauthier."I know what you went through."

Protesters in court

The justice summit was taking place at the same time more than30 people involved in protests at the Muskrat Falls work site were scheduled for an appearance at Supreme Court.

"Minister Parsons, with your signature, hundreds of RCMP officers have come to Labrador to defend your government's project on our land," Denise Cole read from a prepared statement to the minister.

Cole was referring to an extra presence of police at thesite during protests last year. Hundreds of officerswere also brought to Labrador this summer to help facilitate the move of some heavy transformers from Cartwright to the project site.

"I don't direct police in any way shape or form in operations," Parsons told the group.

"I respond to a request that they make based on their experience and based on their expertise ... When it comes to the letter that I did sign,it was based on a request that [said], 'Look, we need a greater presence here because we fear for the safety of people.'"

Gauthierlaunched his hunger strike on Oct. 13,2016, and did not eat for 13 days.

It came to an end after Indigenous leaders met with Premier Dwight Ball for 11 hours on Oct. 25 and came to an agreement that led to the advisory committee, among other concessions.