Racism and fear raise ugly heads as election nears
Racism and fear go hand in hand, and they make a powerful tool in an election campaign. Unfortunately, it is a divisive tactic, and while it may garner votes, it comes at the price of a divided and unhealthy society.
When I read then-conservative MP Maxime Bernier’s comments about extreme multiculturalism I heard a distinct dog whistle to the right wing of the Conservative Party. I thought, “Here we go again.”
During the last election the Conservatives tried to sell anti-muslim rhetoric, fear of refugees and lack of concern for First Nations. It didn’t work but it carried a mixed support in some areas. It looks as if the Tories are at it again, this time testing the wind to see if there is enough fear and racism in the land to fill their sails and propel them to victory in the coming election.
Senator Denise Batters, a Conservative from Saskatchewan, called out Omar Alghabra, a Liberal member of Parliament, for his comments on CBC, questioning his impartiality because his birthplace was Saudi Arabia. Conservative MP Blaine Calkins picked up the torch, calling him an “overt Islamist.”
Shannon Stubbs, shadow cabinet member for natural resources, criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for appointing Omar Khadr’s lawyer, John Norris, to the federal court. Norris was a member of the legal team that worked to obtain Khadr’s release from Guantanamo Bay. If anything, he was guilty of doing his job and showing outstanding dedication to the injustice of the case, but somehow the Tories tried to link the lawyer to the alleged actions of a child soldier.
All this leaves me wondering, are the Conservatives testing the waters for intolerance or is party leader Scheer losing control of the right wing of his caucus? Harper was able to keep the dinosaurs and social conservatives in their place, but Scheer doesn’t seem to have his iron grip on the party.
The Conservatives have also been very critical of “illegal immigration” across the Quebec and Ontario border. While the numbers have dropped significantly this summer, the Tories continue to harp on the problem because it makes good headlines and keeps them in the news. The facts are otherwise, but the truth seldom gets in the way of a good political line.
Meanwhile in Saskatchewan, where we have the highest ratio of Indigenous people to the rest of the population, race continues to raise its ugly head. The outcome of Gerald Stanley’s trial in the death of Colten Boushie continues to reverberate and continues to create divisions. The provincial government dearly wants to shut down the teepee camp on the Legislative Building grounds.
Premier Scott Moe looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he was asked about the proposed national holiday to commemorate the students of Canada’s residential school system. Moe dismissed the proposal before it had been proclaimed, stating that he would have to consult business leaders.
Saskatchewan has the highest number of residential school survivors and the highest number of boarding schools. Either Moe is afraid of the pushback from his base or he must have a knee-jerk reaction to any move by the federal government.
On the other hand, the Conservative Party has a track record of historic successes when it comes to Indigenous issues — Diefenbaker gave us the vote, Mulroney presided over Treaty Land Entitlement negotiations and Harper made the historic apology for the government’s involvement in the boarding schools.
Recently the influence of the old Reform Party has moved the Conservative Party to the right and the so-called red Tories are few and far between. The Reform Party discovered First Nations issues and made hay by blaming the victim. This set Indigenous–government relations back and our people languished with neglect and shrinking budgets. Now the Conservative Party is continuing the trash talk and misinformation of the Reform Party.
Next year elections will be held for both the federal and provincial governments. Once again I suspect that Indigenous issues will be buried and appeals from all parties made to the broad swath of Canadians that consider themselves middle class.
If the Conservatives appeal to the public’s fear and prejudices, we can expect a drawn-out, dirty campaign that ignores the real issues and separates First Nations and new Canadians from the rest of the country.