July 08, 2020

OTTAWA – Following a spate of deaths across Canada at the hands of law enforcement in the course of ‘wellness checks,’ parliamentarians have announced that an inquiry in the Senate will be pursued.

Senator Kim Pate and Green parliamentary leader Elizabeth May, joined by Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin, spoke to the media at an Ottawa press conference. The impetus for the inquiry was the request from Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. One of the recently killed Indigenous people, Chantel Moore, was a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation who had recently moved to Edmunston, New Brunswick.

“On behalf of the Chantel Moore family and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, I met with Minister Bill Blair to ask for a Special Taskforce into the use of Wellness Checks and how they can be done differently. He had no interest in a task force indicating that he wants to work on amending the Police Act with AFN. I told him this was too long of a period of time and we needed immediate actions like trauma informed teams and he said there was no budget for such an effort. I am very pleased that the Senate can find a way to take this forward. It is a matter of some urgency that we ensure that ‘wellness checks’ are not fatal,” said Nuu-chah-nulth President Judith Sayers.

The Senate is currently in recess. “Loved ones and members of the public need answers. If the current investigation is not completed or is inadequate by the time we resume sitting in September, many of us will no doubt strive to ensure that a more fulsome inquiry is launched as a priority,” said Senator Kim Pate. “Senate Committees have the power to initiate inquiries and compel testimony. The recent deaths of Chantel Moore, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, Ejaz Ahmed-Choudry, and Rodney Levi raise questions about systemic racism.

The current health pandemic has exacerbated and underscored the pre-existing pandemic of racism, not to mention the inadequacy of our social, economic and health systems. For decades, instead of addressing such deficits, we have abandoned those with mental health issues to the streets and the criminal legal system. It is well past time to evaluate our abdication of the intersecting issues of race, class and mental health, including the resulting expectation and role of police in responding to and addressing mental health issues. Too many Indigenous, Black and racialized people are fearful and grieving; they and all Canadians want answers and action.”

Supporting the Senate work for an inquiry, Senator Yvonne Boyer, member of the Indigenous Caucus added, “Be it with the tragedy of Chantel Moore or the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the trafficking of Indigenous women and girls as well as the issues of forced and coerced sterilization, the consensus is overwhelming. There is a grave and warranted lack of trust in the institutions tasked to protect Indigenous Peoples and indeed all Canadians. The system needs an overhaul with an external oversight mechanism to prevent these needless deaths during a wellness check.”

“The premier of New Brunswick has asked the Quebec bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) to conduct the inquiry into the deaths of the two indigenous people killed in June in this province. The BEI says it will be at least a year before they have any answers,” said Fredericton MP, Jenica Atwin. “That is far too long. I want to know what role systemic racism and/or misogyny played in these deaths. We need answers. No mother should have to wait a year – or longer – to find out how her daughter ended up being fatally shot five times.”

In closing, Elizabeth May noted, “There are many levels of concern about the interaction of mental health supports and law enforcement. If the government changes course and decides to take on this inquiry, we would welcome that. In the meantime, parliamentarians are committed to getting to solutions and saving lives.”

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For more information or to arrange an interview:

Debra Eindiguer

613-240-8921

debra@greenparty.ca

Rosie Emery

Press Secretary

613-562-4916 ext, 204

rosie.emery@greenparty.ca

The post Canadians need answers: Parliamentarians launch inquiry into Wellness Checks appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-07-08 13:37 [p.2550]

Madam Chair, I want to begin by expressing my relief that the attack on Rideau Hall where both our Governor General and the Prime Minister and his family live ended non-violently and that Corey Hurren was taken into custody.

I would like to ask the hon. minister and the Prime Minister about the following names: Chantel Moore, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, Ejaz Ahmed Choudry and Rodney Levi, who, not meaning any harm to anyone, were killed during the process of a wellness check. They are dead. They were all indigenous, black or racialized Canadians who are now dead.

Is it not time to have a federal inquiry into the use of wellness checks to ensure that the people who are being cared for do not end up in the morgue.

Hon. Bill Blair (Scarborough Southwest)
2020-07-08 13:38 [p.2551]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for a very important question. This is an issue of grave concern to the government and all Canadians.
It is important to acknowledge that over 100,000 times each year, the police respond to calls for service for people in crisis, and the overwhelming majority of those matters are resolved peacefully. There has been an enormous amount of work done to find alternative forums of response, from medical crisis intervention teams that pair police and health care workers together, to other community interventions and enhanced training for de-escalation.

I am in complete agreement with the member that we need to do much more, and that is why we will be working with the provinces and territories and indigenous leadership to, first of all, develop national standards for the use of force and de-escalation training, and also to explore and invest in alternative methods of response to these very difficult situations in order to keep people safe.

The post Calling for a federal inquiry into the use of ‘wellness checks’ appeared first on Elizabeth May.

June 17, 2020

OTTAWA – Last week, Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May stated: “The RCMP is a racist institution.” Today, Ms. May provided further evidence of the institution’s racist, anti-Indigenous attitude.

In 2017, in what was supposed to be a fair and open competition to locate a new RCMP Occupational Communication Centre in Nova Scotia, the RCMP rigged the process to rule out the bid of the Millbrook First Nation.

The details of how this was done emerged through Access to Information requests and are laid out in a March 25, 2020 letter from Chief Robert Gloade of Millbrook First Nation to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair (attached).

“Surely a claim to respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires, at a minimum, fair access to economic opportunities,” said Ms. May. “But the RCMP unfairly added an unexplained $1.6 million in costs to the Millbrook proposal, while inaccurately describing the RCMP HQ proposal as involving zero rent.

“Over the years I served as leader of the Green Party of Canada, we have called for public inquiries into the RCMP multiple times. Occasionally, a review took place but never with the teeth to allow investigators to get to the facts.”

Issues requiring investigations include:

-RCMP interference in the 2006 election;

-The RCMP’s militarized approach, including the use of violence against peaceful protesters at Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick in 2013;

-Systemic sexism in the RCMP and horrific treatment of female officers;

-What the RCMP knew about the scandal of money laundering in British Columbia casinos;

-The violent arrest of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs last winter; and

-The degree to which racists and those with links to white supremacist organizations have joined the RCMP.

“We also need an inquiry into how the RCMP handled the April 2020 mass murder in Nova Scotia that ranged from Portapique to the Wentworth Valley, Debert and Shubenacadie, the killing of Rodney Levi by New Brunswick RCMP, as well as this contract ‘fixing’ to advantage the RCMP proposal and disadvantage Millbrook First Nation,” said Ms. May.

“In other words, it is time to place the RCMP under a microscope. I want to know why the RCMP is receiving an unexplained additional $18 million in supplementary estimates on top of its $3.5 billion budget and additional $220 million, to, quite rightly, compensate officers injured on the job. The $18 million is without detail. Now would be a good time to say ‘no.’

“The collectivity of recent (post-2005) experiences does not inspire confidence. The impression is of an unaccountable, secretive organization. It is time for a thorough review to ask whether this institution is capable of reform.”

*Letter to Ministers attached

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For more information or to arrange an interview

Debra Eindiguer

613-240-8921

debra@greenparty.ca

Rosie Emery
Press Secretary

613-562-4916 ext. 204

rosie.emery@greenparty.ca

The post Greens demand a full inquiry into the RCMP appeared first on Elizabeth May.