Six First Nations chiefs call for end to New Brunswick commission on systemic racism
The six chiefs of New Brunswick's Wolastoqey Nation are calling on Premier Blaine Higgs to scrap his commission on systemic racism.
In a statement issued Friday morning, the Mi'kmaq chiefs said the premier will be wasting time and money if he allows the commission to continue because it lacks independence.
"Provincial government departments and institutions were built to racially discriminate against the Indigenous people of this province," wrote Chief Ross Perley of the Tobique First Nation.
"There seems to be no will from the Higgs government to acknowledge it or fix it."
The call to scuttle the commission comes amid a dispute over a draft interim report, which was shelved in April when the Higgs government raised concerns that the commissioner had not met with many government departments to learn of work that was underway.
The Mi'kmaq chiefs decided to release the draft report on Monday.
Written by commissioner Manju Varma, the draft report recommends the creation of a Indigenous-led public inquiry into systemic racism in the province.
That's something the chiefs have been demanding for the past two years.
In a statement released Monday, the chiefs said they would no longer work with the commission because the government was interfering with its work.
As for Varma, she issued a statement saying the report released by the chiefs was a preliminary draft. She said she is working on a final report that will be released this fall.
But controversy flared again on Tuesday when a senior policy advisor resigned, saying he was worried that the commission was losing its independence.
Robert Tay-Burroughs posted his resignation letter on social media on Tuesday, saying he has been troubled "by the false pretenses" under which the office was doing its work.
"The limits placed by external forces on what we can and cannot say ... has compromised our already fragile independence," he wrote.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn later said she had no idea what Tay-Burroughs was talking about. She said no one in the government told Varma to shelve her report.
On Friday, Chief Patricia Bernard of the Madawaska First Nation said the commission "has been corrupted by government interference."
"Worse than that, his minister is now offering to spend more money on employees after a key staffer quit. Higgs doesn't know when to stop digging."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.