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N.L. premier, Innu leaders meet after minister's 'race card' comment

THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Monday, September 16, 2019 2:32PM ADT Last Updated Tuesday, September 17, 2019 8:01AM ADT

Perry Trimper is stepping down as environment minister following comments deemed racist by one of the province's largest Indigenous groups. (House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador)

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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball met with Innu Nation leaders Monday to discuss concerns about institutional racism after a former cabinet minister said the Indigenous group is prone to playing the race card.

Ball travelled to Labrador for the afternoon meeting, and in a joint statement with Innu Nation Grand Chief Gregory Rich, the premier agreed to the establishment of a working group "to ensure Innu people are treated with dignity, equality and respect."

Perry Trimper resigned as environment minister on Friday after apologizing for comments captured in a voice-mail message left with an Innu Nation staff member.

The recording starts with a message from Trimper about vehicle registration, but it continues to pick up a conversation after Trimper fails to hang up his phone.

"They're accusing us of having bias on motor vehicle registration, saying that people taking the test don't have adequate translators, and it's their God-given right to have adequate translation," Trimper can be heard saying.

A person speaking with Trimper responds: "You can't have it all in every language .... They have a feeling of entitlement."

Trimper then adds: "And the race card comes up all of the time .... I've been working 30 years with you guys, don't play that on me."

The Labrador politician is still a member of the Liberal caucus, and photos and videos on social media showed a small protest outside his office in Happy Valley-Goose Bay ahead of Monday's meeting. Protesters' signs denounced racism in politics and called for Trimper to resign from the legislature.

In the joint statement issued Monday evening, Ball and Rich called the recording "disturbing" and "disrespectful."

They said the new working group will develop measures to ensure elected officials and employees in all government programs "have an understanding and appreciation of Innu culture, values and history."

The statement adds that Ball has "committed to expedite land claims and self-government negotiations on matters of provincial responsibility."