Harper government to introduce law to allow private propert

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Harper government to introduce law to allow private property on reserves

John Ibbitson

The Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Aug. 05 2012, 9:50 PM EDT

Last updated Monday, Aug. 06 2012, 10:23 AM EDT

The Conservative government will introduce legislation that would allow first nations members living on reserve to own their property, a radical change that aims to spur economic development in native communities that choose to embrace the new law.

It’s all part of an ambitious Conservative agenda to bring fundamental changes to relations between Ottawa and the first nations – on property rights, on matrimonial rights, on financial transparency and on education.

The act would potentially affect more than 366,000 natives living in more than 600 first nations communities, comprising some 2.7 million hectares of land. However, each first nation would be able to choose whether to introduce private property onto reserves. As yet, only a handful of native leaders support the idea.............http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le4464434/