QUEBEC — Premier Philippe Couillard has promised to meet with indigenous leaders to discuss ways to investigate alleged “systemic racism” in Quebec.
“We’re aware of the enormous trauma in aboriginal communities, we’re not trivializing it … we’ll find concrete ways to bring some answers,” the premier said.
Couillard made the remarks Tuesday at the National Assembly, where a dozen women stood wearing small, red felt dresses pinned to their shirts, reminiscent of the red square worn by student protesters in 2012.
They said the red dress symbolizes the murdered and missing aboriginal women.
“It’s the province’s responsibility to launch an independent inquiry,” said Donna Larivière of Quebec Native Women, who categorically rejected the recent conclusions of a Montreal police investigation into Sûreté du Québec officers alleged to have abused aboriginal women in Val-d’Or.
Quebec’s Director of criminal and penal prosecutions decided to forgo charges against the officers in Val-d’Or but charged two retired SQ officers from Schefferville, as a result of the police investigation.
“We don’t believe in police investigating police,” Larivière said.
The Couillard government has suggested that Canada’s national inquiry into missing or murdered indigenous women is a sufficient vehicle for examining alleged abuse of aboriginal women by police forces. But on Tuesday, aboriginal women argued Quebec’s problems will be lost in a national inquiry.
“Trust is completely broken,” said Québec solidaire MNA Manon Massé. “Women in particular need the Quebec government to send clear signals … not tell them that a public inquiry is not a good idea. It’s what they want.”
The women said it is a “glaring double standard” that the Quebec government launched a five-year plan on sexual assault immediately following allegations of abuse involving an MNA, as well as an independent inquiry into police spying of journalists.
So far, more than 1,300 people have signed an online petition asking for a public inquiry.
Dozens of people gathered Tuesday evening in Montreal for a vigil in support of aboriginal women who reported having been abused by police.
cplante@postmedia.com
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