[National Post Online]
   
   June 9, 2001
   
   Campbell offers to drop Nisga'a court case
   Meets with Chretien
   
   Justine Hunter
   National Post
   
   OTTAWA - In a bid to end a simmering conflict with Jean Chretien, the
   Prime Minister, over native land claims, Gordon Campbell, the new
   British Columbia Premier, was in Ottawa yesterday to offer to drop his
   court case against the controversial Nisga'a treaty.
   
   Mr. Campbell, who was sworn in as Premier on Tuesday, met with Mr.
   Chretien yesterday, officially to try to repair the poor relations
   that existed between Ottawa and the former New Democratic Party
   government, which Mr. Campbell defeated on May 16.
   
   "I thought the important thing to do on this first trip was to
   establish the fact we wanted to deal with one another on a
   professional basis. It doesn't mean we are always going to agree,
   [but] we'll try to resolve issues instead of just argue about them,"
   Mr. Campbell said in an interview yesterday.
   
   While the two Liberal leaders met for a private, 90-minute lunch at 24
   Sussex, his officials were delivering a proposal to their federal
   counterparts that would see Mr. Campbell abandon his court challenge
   against the landmark land claims settlement Mr. Chretien personally
   championed.
   
   In exchange, the province is asking that Ottawa assist in referring
   legal questions to the Supreme Court of Canada on two key
   constitutional issues arising from the Nisga'a deal.
   
   The court would be asked for an opinion on questions of jurisdiction
   and the rights of non-natives living on native land, which Mr.
   Campbell said would assist in future land-claims negotiations.
   
   The referral proposal does not address another irritant for the
   Chretien government -- Mr. Campbell's plans to hold a referendum on
   land claims in the next year. Mr. Chretien insisted to reporters he is
   not worried about the issue, but his British Columbia ministers
   confirm those issues remain a source of conflict. Ottawa worries a
   vote on minority rights will be divisive and set back treaty
   negotiations in that province.
   
   Mr. Campbell also met with Stockwell Day, the Canadian Alliance
   leader, and spent 45 minutes each with the Alliance and Liberal
   caucuses yesterday.
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