Scheer says independent justice system important
Tory leader says any legal reforms need to be done in ‘comprehensive’ manner
The trial of Gerald Stanley did not come up during Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer’s speech to his Fort Qu’Appelle constituents on Tuesday night, but the MP told reporters afterwards any changes to the country’s justice system need to happen in a “comprehensive way.”
He added that politicians need to “respect the independence of the judicial system.”
His comments came after the family of Colten Boushie travelled to Ottawa to speak with federal ministers, a trip that was made almost immediately after a jury found Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley not guilty in the 2016 shooting death of 22-yearold Boushie.
The family had been promised “concrete changes” to the justice system by the federal Liberal government, prompting Scheer to say it is always “appropriate for the government to take a look” at how to improve the judicial process; but added it is “appropriate to talk about these things understanding there is a lot of emotion.
“We have to approach these in a comprehensive way. Obviously, our thoughts are with the family of Colten. I think we can all agree it was a very tragic situation and there is a loss of life involved, and I’m very sympathetic to that,” he told reporters.
Scheer’s caucus colleagues have accused Justin Trudeau of “political interference” after the prime minister, in response to Stanley’s acquittal, said the criminal justice system has to “do better.”
“I’m not going to comment on the process that led to this point today, but I am going to say we have come to this point as a country far too many times,” Trudeau said in California, where he was wrapping up a four-day trip to the U.S. “I know Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians alike know that we have to do better.”
Scheer echoed his colleagues’ concerns over Trudeau’s comments, questioning whether or not the prime minister interfered with a possible appeal in the Stanley case.
Since Stanley’s acquittal, thousands of people have taken part in protests across Canada, largely arguing the judicial system is unjust and lacks fairness. Others — mostly online — are celebrating Stanley’s acquittal, often employing racist rhetoric to do so.
Despite being water cooler fodder across the province, the trial and Stanley’s acquittal did not come up at the town hall meeting, which brought out roughly 130 people according to Scheer.
Instead, constituents largely voiced their displeasure with what Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doing. In one instance, a woman said she wanted to storm the House of Commons and have Trudeau stripped of his citizenship for treason — a comment that garnered a round of applause from the crowd.
Asked if Saskatchewan has a problem with racism, Scheer said there are some specific challenges that First Nations people face.
“I acknowledge there are specific incidents where First Nations individuals, Indigenous Canadians, can be treated improperly, whether it’s racist slurs or prejudices that prevent them from getting employment or things like that. In general, I think that levels of government are trying to address that and in general, as a whole, as a society, we’re a very welcoming, diverse and tolerant country,” he said.
It was a very tragic situation and there is a loss of life involved, and I’m very sympathetic to that.