What they said. What they meant.

“I want people in my riding to feel consulted. Local decisions are uncertain. It's the provincial government's fault. The federal government should stay involved in local decisions and protect private property. People in my riding are worried. Let's use Canadian law to protect property rights. We should study the problem more in committee. I'm filling time with a lot of complicated jargon but I basically just want the government to protect property rights and keep talking to everyone.”

“I want the member to admit there's a problem. People are worried. The government should fix this now.”

“That's a good question. The Liberals won't let us talk about this in committee. I think this issue is important. People are scared about their property rights. They're scared to invest in Canada. The government should pay attention to that.”

“The Liberals keep saying we shouldn't talk about this. They think Canadians don't understand the issue. As parliamentarians, isn't it our job to discuss issues and get the facts on the table instead of ignoring problems like ostriches?”

“Exactly. The government pretends this won't get worse. We should work together to fix it now. Many people here have the right experience to solve this. We need to lead and show people we will act, not just be afraid.”

“I don't want to admit that I'm wrong. We should all sit and talk so I don't have to answer the question.”

“The Prime Minister keeps promising to speed up projects but nothing happens. He needs to get out of the way. Get rid of the carbon tax. Approve projects and pipelines. Legalize oil and gas shipping. Let people build and invest without interference. The government also needs to protect private property rights. A court ruling threatens property rights because the government wouldn't defend them. Now investment is being cancelled because land title isn't secure. The Prime Minister spreads illusions about supporting property rights while his lawyers are instructed not to defend them. We need secure land title for a free market democracy. Conservatives have a plan to fix this mess the Prime Minister caused. Cancel the guideline banning lawyers from defending property rights. Don't sign agreements that don't protect property rights. Present a plan to protect British Columbians' rights within 30 days. Start a committee to study how to save property rights. We will fight for homeowners who deserve security and certainty that they own their homes.”

“The Prime Minister says he'll defend property rights, but actions speak louder than words. A guideline for federal lawyers not to defend them in challenges by first nations does the opposite, and he's not walking the walk. He could vote for our motion to really defend them everywhere and always.”

“We have to fix this now because the government didn't defend property rights in court. Homeowners could lose their homes and it's the government's fault.”

“The Liberals are messing this up. British Columbians are scared. We could fix it if the Prime Minister would just listen to Conservatives.”

“The Prime Minister is talking out of both sides of his mouth. He says he supports property rights, but his own lawyer instructions say not to defend them. He should stop dodging and actually fix this with the power he already has.”

“I'm not going to get trapped in a legal debate about international obligations. I'll just repeat patriotic slogans about Canada first instead.”

“I'm going to blame the Liberal government for everything bad that happens between provinces and first nations. I'll ignore some realities that don't fit my story, skip details that might make reconciliation sound complicated, and finish with feel-good promises that my government will magically do everything right.”

“I'm disappointed. The other guy talked big but didn't deliver. It's just empty words. My people were hoping for more. Actions speak louder than words.”

“That's bad. I don't like that. People in Quebec should care about what happens in B.C. because it involves First Nations. That's a federal issue. Quebec and First Nations could work together better, but the Liberal government isn't doing that. They talk about reconciliation but don't back it up with action. We need real leadership instead of their empty words.”

“I respect the member for Edmonton Northwest. I've learned from him on the indigenous northern affairs committee. But the member for Winnipeg North just read a statement that claimed the exact opposite of what the Liberals are doing. In 2018, they made a conscious choice not to argue for fee simple property rights in court. That means they can't bring it up on appeal or at the Supreme Court later. How do the Liberals expect to use this argument in court when they've already given up the right to argue it? They're contradicting themselves.”

“I don't know the law details. I hope the Liberals admit they got things wrong. They shouldn't dismiss fears. This is a real issue for British Columbians and Canada. The Liberals need to step up and address the issues.”

“I did not say Cowichan Tribes would force people off land. The government caused uncertainty. Even B.C.'s NDP Premier says it threatens property rights. A $100 million hotel was canceled. Uncertainty is widespread in B.C. The government should fix that uncertainty.”

“You say this court case doesn't threaten private property, but I think it does. The Delgamuukw case says aboriginal title gives exclusive rights to land, just like regular ownership. There can't be two groups with exclusive rights over the same land. This case is the first time aboriginal title was claimed over private land, not just public land. I think that's a problem.”

“The government should have negotiated a treaty to avoid uncertainty.”