Do as I say - Not as I do

Whether it's teachers over students, parents over children or governments over citizens, the exercise of power without accountability is a dangerous thing.

New Brunswick's First Nations are finding that out in a big way.

Last fall, Aboriginal people rushed into the forests after a New Brunswick court ruled Aboriginal loggers had first rights to Crown timber.

As the trees went down, the loggers saw their standard of living go up - way up. By some accounts, profits in excess of half-a-million dollars a month were grabbed up.

But then the province appealed the decision and won. Following the April 22 Court of Appeal decision, Premier Ray Frechette said the Native loggers had "days not weeks" to get out of the woods.

Three-quarters of the 70 Native logging operations in the province halted. But at least 300 individual loggers dug in their heels.

The Union of New Brunswick Indians has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Now go back two years to the spring of 1996.

The New Brunswick government tried to force Aboriginal people to pay provincial sales tax.

The government lost.

The court ruled that Section 87 of the Indian Act, federal legislation which takes precedent over provincial laws, said Native people don't have to pay taxes. The government appealed. The appeal decision won't be handed down until later this summer. But, for the last two years, Aboriginal people in New Brunswick have been told they have to continue to pay the taxes. Remember, the government lost.

It's more like 'Do as I say, not as I do.'

Does somebody have to smack some sense into the provincial government? The answer may lie with those 300 people trying to cut out a living for a traditionally poor people in a traditionally poor Maritime province. They are calling the government on the lack of accountability, and they're getting attention.

The government can try to hide behind their walls of power and pretend their inconsistency isn't showing, but an ostrich burying his head in the sand leaves some very sensitive parts sticking out as a tempting target.