July 31, 1995 For Immediate Release
LACK OF ACTION BY GOVERNMENT CREATES BREEDING GROUND FOR LAWLESSNESS
Yorkton - Today, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, demanded the laws of Canada be applied equally regardless of race. Breitkreuz made the demand after learning about three separate incidents involving aboriginal people breaking the law. "In Oka, there appears to be two justice systems, one for Indians and one for whites. If you're white, you will be arrested immediately for growing marijuana. But if you're an aboriginal, the police will help you destroy the evidence and delay laying any charges. "Who's in charge?", asked Breitkreuz. "The Solicitor General, Herb Gray, says he's not in charge even though he admitted in a news conference last Friday that the RCMP have jurisdiction in the case."
In a second incident, military police were forced off the Camp Ipperwash military base north of Sarnia, Ontario. On Saturday, a member of the Stony Point band crashed a school bus through the door of the drill hall and then rammed a military jeep. "Has this person been arrested for this crime?" asked Breitkreuz. "If I destroyed public property, you can bet I would be arrested."
Today, members of the Gull Bay band are threatening to block Highway 527 near Thunder Bay, Ontario, if their demands aren't met by 2:00 Tuesday afternoon. "The government would gain more respect from both the law-abiding and the law-breakers if they directed police to lay charges immediately in such cases and remove blockades as fast as they are set up," said Breitkreuz.
"The message the government is spreading by failing to act promptly and decisively in these cases, is that they are afraid of prosecuting Indians who break the law. This in turn encourages more Indians to do more of the same. Lawlessness breeds lawlessness. This madness has to stop now!" exclaimed Breitkreuz.
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