November 2015

SocialistWorker www.socialist.ca $2 no. 578 November 2015 Indigenous rights Page 2 Valerie Lannon, Sandra Fragola and Eric Lescar- beau discuss the ongoing fight for Indigenous rights after Harper Imperialism Page 3 Paul Stevenson challenges the notion that Rus- sian intervention will be any better than US intervention in Syria Islamophobia Page 5 Valerie Lannon, Chantal Sundaram and Michelle Robidoux explain how the Canadian state uses Islamophobia to div- ide and conquer, and to scapegoat Quebec VOTERS TAKE OUT Election results Page 6-7 Jesse McLaren reviews the paradoxical election results that saw anti-Harp- THE TRASH er anger monopolized by the Liberals Civil liberties Page 8 Sophia Harkat exposes Finance Minister MP Stephen Woodworth Immigration Minister the reality of secret trials Oliver imposed austerity attacked abortion rights Alexander attacked refugees in Canada and calls for an end to the deportation of her husband Mohamed Harkat Remembrance Page 8 On November 11 wear a white poppy to oppose war and support war resisters and refugees GONE GONE GONE Trudeau Page 9 John Bell remembers how Pierre Trudeau used “strategic voting” to gain Veteran Affairs Minister Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arctic Council Minister power and attack workers Fantino attacked veterans Valcourt ignored women Aglukkaq ignored food crisis in the 1970s Climate justice Page 11 Carolyn Egan outlines a calendar of climate action to pressure Justin Trudeau GONE GONE GONE Facts & figures Campaign for 2 Indigenous Number of weeks after Trudeau’s election vic- children tory that he faces the first By Valerie Lannon and protests Sandra Fragola 13 Cindy Blackstock of the Number of years the First Nations Child & Canadian state has been per- Family Caring Society secuting Mohamed Harkat, helped to kick off Ryerson on trumped up charges University’s Social Justice through secret trials Week on October 5. She gave the keynote 100,000 address at an event entitled Number of people who pro- “Reconciliation: Ready, Set, tested austerity on October Go!” 3 in Quebec, in the midst of the election and ignored by Canadian values? the media in English Canada Blackstock began by pointing out that the most 1 million egregious forms of racism Number of votes the NDP in Canada historically have lost by campaigning to the all been “legal”—from the right Indian Act, to the Chinese “head tax” onwards. 4 million She emphasized that Number of votes the rather than focus on Liberals gained by cam- Liberals and Indigenous rights “Canadian values,” we paigning to the left by VALERIE LANNON should emphasize “human values,” and noted that Indigenous people were important to First Nations, Indigenous languages, and means freezing expansion in government racism against part of the jump in voter the Métis Nation, and Inuit implementing the TRC the tar sands and committing Indigenous children (through turnout that drove Harper communities—issues like recommendations. to building a justice-based, under-funding of services) In their own from office and that housing, infrastructure, But we can’t take the clean energy economy. After “is our Confederate flag, words defeated his Aboriginal health and mental health Liberals at their word. all, it was only a week ago and Parliament has laws that Affairs Minister Bernard care, community safety It will require continued that we learned that the give it life.” “There are a lot of bleeding Valcourt, who was the and policing, child welfare, mobilization both to hold co-chair of Mr. Trudeau’s She said that racism is hearts around who just face for government and education…we will them to these promises and campaign was not only most dangerous when it is don’t like to see people with indifference to missing ensure that the Kelowna to shape the way they are working for TransCanada combined with righteous- helmets and guns. All I and murdered Indigenous Accord—and the spirit of implemented to ensure that Pipelines, but offering the ness, “as with statements can say is, go on and bleed, women. reconciliation that drove Indigenous peoples have company advice on how like ‘No more funding for but it is more important to Trudeau has made it—is embraced, and its control over these processes. to quickly, and effectively First Nations, because they keep law and order in this some good promises on objectives implemented in For example, will a lobby a Liberal govern- won’t know what to do with society than to be worried Indigenous rights, while also a manner that meets today’s national inquiry into missing ment to get the Energy it.’ Or the hypocrisy of this about weak-kneed people pushing tar sands pipelines challenges.” and murdered Indigenous East pipeline built. That’s government that passed the who don’t like the looks of that destroy Indigenous Among other things, women be a top-down, saying nothing of Trudeau’s First Nations Accountability a soldier’s helmet.” territories and violate Trudeau promised to state controlled academic support for the Keystone XL Act, while not itself account- —Pierre Trudeau on using sovereignty. Mobilizations implement all recommen- exercise that pays lip service pipeline, his unclear stance able for the use of its own the War Measures Act to outside Parliament will be dations of the Truth and to Indigenous concerns—or on the Kinder Morgan funds” (presumably referring suspend civil liberties in key to both maintaining Reconciliation Commission a grassroots process where pipeline, and his, frankly to Senate expenditures Quebec, 1970 their promises and challen- (TRC), to launch an inquiry families of the victims and confusing, refusal to commit among other things). ging their pipelines. into missing and murdered Indigenous communities to ambitious climate targets Internal government “In Kunduz our patients As Grand Chief Sheila Indigenous women, to pro- are empowered to challenge on the campaign trail.” documents show that the burned in their beds. MSF North Wilson, of Manitoba tect Indigenous languages, the colonization of their ter- First Nations across the Aboriginal Affairs and doctors, nurses, and other Keewatinowi Okimakanak, to fund the improvement ritories that leads to violence country are actively oppos- Northern Development staff were killed as they explained, “I believe that of education infrastructure against women? ing pipelines through court Canada ministry had to worked. Our colleagues Mr. Harper, when he was and schooling of Indigenous cases, on-site land defense, reallocate funds from infra- had to operate on each prime minister, awoke a children and youth K-12, Fighting Liberal blockades, and demonstra- structure programs (housing, other. One of our doctors sleeping giant in our people, to remove the two per cent pipelines tions—actions that Bill roads, water systems) in died on an improvised and that giant is awake. The funding cap for services in When it comes to tar sands C-51, which Trudeau sup- order to cover education and operating table—an office new Liberal majority gov- First Nations communities, pipelines, Trudeau has ports, seeks to criminalize. social programs. Blackstock desk—while his colleagues ernment under Mr. Trudeau and to create a Federal pledged to overhaul the Pierre Trudeau’s 1969 asked, “Why not go to the tried to save his life.” is going to have to deal with Reconciliation Framework pipeline review process to White Paper tried to forcibly budget surplus for that?” —Doctors Without Borders a giant in the indigenous to help “settle land claims include climate impacts, assimilate First Nations, describing the impact of people of these lands.” and treaties.” opposed Northern Gateway sparking the Red Power Allies the latest US war crime in Most of the above appears pipeline and committed movement. Now, facing a Blackstock described the Afghanistan Maintaining Liberal to be in line with priorities to end fossil fuels sub- new wave of Indigenous heroism of Dr. Peter Bryce, promises articulated by the Assembly sidies and invest in green resistance, his son is trying a public health official and “I think too often our tone On its website, the Liberals of First Nations (see www. infrastructure. to appeal to the movement tuberculosis expert who wasn’t sufficiently positive have promised to ensure a afn.ca “Closing the Gap”)— But, as 350.org has while restraining it. It will warned the government of and optimstic. We need nation-to-nation relation- namely strengthening pointed out, “These are take all of us, under the the day that “residential a conservatism that is ship: “We will immediately First Nations, families and all amazing things, and leadership of Indigenous schools were hotbeds for the sunnier and more opti- re-engage in a renewed na- communities, sharing and campaign promises that activists, to combat the propagation of this disease mistic than what we have tion-to-nation process with equitable funding, uphold- Trudeau needs to keep. He Liberal oil agenda. (tuberculosis)” and that the sometimes conveyed,.” Indigenous Peoples to make ing rights, respecting the also must understand that disease was preventable with —Former Defence Minister progress on the issues most environment, revitalizing action on climate change as little as $15,000 in spend- Jason Kenney, after the ing. But the government Conservative’s racist, never released his report and sexist, homophobic and smeared him instead. fear-mongering election Today’s allies of campaign failed BC Liberals continue Harper’s legacy Indigenous peoples can take by ERIC LESCARBEAU part in the I am a Witness “The job of the Prime campaign. This campaign Minister is to get those Stephen Harper may Transit Nearly 10 years after the the Liberals are pursuing supports the complaint made resources to market” be gone but his callous In 2006 the Highway of symposium’s report, the exacerbates the conditions to the Canadian Human —Justin Trudeau, reassuring disregard for missing and Tears Symposium, involving Liberal government has yet that lead to violence against Rights Tribunal about Bay Street he will promote murdered Indigenous more than 500 people from to even begin consultations women.

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