September 5, 1995 For Immediate Release
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE OKA AND GUSTAFSEN LAKE STANDOFFS
"No one should be allowed to break the law just because they have a political agenda."
Yorkton - Today, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, gave his personal views on how the government should deal with blockades of public or private roads or occupation of public or private property. "This is not an Indian issue, it is a justice issue. I believe that the laws of Canada and the Provinces should be applied equally to all citizens regardless of their race, colour of skin, culture or heritage. I also believe that, far too often, situations like Gustafsen Lake and Oka have been created by political interference and political correctness. The most common comment made to me by people from across the country is: 'If they were white, they wouldn't be allowed to blockade a road for two hours, let alone, two days, two weeks or two months'," reported Breitkreuz. "In many of these situations, politicians have interfered with the administration of justice by not allowing the police to act quickly to remove the blockade. Failure to act quickly, by police, allows these criminals to get established and the ensuing media frenzy gives them notoriety and a national stage from which to publicize their illegal acts and bogus demands."
"I believe if anyone blockades a public or private road or occupies public or private property the government should give the RCMP the authority to act immediately to remove the perpetrators of these criminal acts. These blockades and occupations are a threat to public safety and national security, the government should give the police authority to act swiftly even if it means that they have to act before being issued a court order," declared Breitkreuz. "The government should use all the levers it has to bring about a speedy end to these blockades, occupations and outright defiance of Canadian laws. The federal government should certainly not be providing food and money to these criminals or their supporters."
"The people of Canada are demanding fairness and justice and instead they see special status, inequality and injustice in the government's kid-glove treatment of Indian extremists when they perpetrate these criminal acts. In fact, the government's normal response to these situations consistently condones, and even rewards, criminal behaviour by negotiating concessions and giving in to the demands of those who in engage in roadblocks, occupation, possession of prohibited weapons, shooting at and damaging army and police vehicles and helicopters and, yes, even the murder and attempted murder of police officers. When the government rewards criminal behaviour, all Canadians can expect is more criminal behaviour. A Reform government will put an end to these situations before they reach the crisis state.
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