Independent justice system important, Tory leader says
Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer says any changes to the country’s justice system need to happen in a “comprehensive way” and that it is important for politicians to “respect the independence of the judicial system.”
His comments came Tuesday night after a town hall meet and greet with constituents in his Fort Qu’appelle riding, in response to questions about a trip made by the family of Colten Boushie to Ottawa. His family members travelled to Ottawa this week to speak with federal ministers after a jury found Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley not guilty in the 2016 shooting death of 22-year-old Boushie.
By Tuesday, the family had been promised “concrete changes” to the justice system by the federal government.
Scheer said 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 colleague’s concerns over Trudeau’s comments, questioning whether or not the prime minister interfered with a possible appeal in the case.
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.