Ignorance means Beyak must resign
The thing about a so-called “teachable moment” is it’s only useful if the person involved has the ability and willingness to learn.
Sen. Lynn Beyak, it seems, might not possess those attributes. Last April, Ms. Beyak was removed from the Senate’s Aboriginal Peoples committee after controversial and ill-informed comments about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) failure to “focus on the good” that was done in Canada’s residential school system.
The senator from northwestern Ontario, who was appointed to the upper chamber in 2013 by then-prime minister Stephen Harper, did not seem to glean any immediate lessons from her ouster, calling it a threat to free speech and an indication political correctness is getting in the way of thoughtful conversation in this country.
Five months later, having been freed of Senate committee obligations and, one presumes, given plenty of time to reflect on her earlier comments in the context of the ongoing reconciliation process, Ms. Beyak remains unmoved and, by all appearances, unenlightened.
After the recent federal government cabinet shuffle, which included the division of Indigenous affairs responsibilities into two separate portfolios - one focused on bureaucratic initiatives such as negotiating treaties and the other tasked with delivery of services - Ms. Beyak posted an open letter on her Senate website. In it, she criticized the creation of another ministry, reiterated her praise for residential schools’ achievements and stated it’s time to “stop the guilt and blame and move forward together.”
The letter also suggested Indigenous people “trade your status card for a Canadian citizenship, with a fair and negotiated payout to each Indigenous man, woman and child in Canada, to settle all the outstanding land claims and treaties, and move forward together just like the (Indigenous) leaders already do in Ottawa.”
This suggests the senator is unaware that Indigenous people who are born in Canada are, in fact, Canadian citizens.
When the issue of Ms. Beyak’s perspective on residential schools first made headlines last spring, Sen. Murray Sinclair - the principal architect of the TRC’s report and recommendations - defended his colleague’s right to hold unpopular views, while at the same time pointing out that those views “have been proven to be incorrect over the years.”
But that was then, and this is now, when Ms. Beyak has had ample time to capitalize on the teachable moment created by fallout from last April’s Senate speech. She has either chosen not to seize the opportunity or simply lacks the capacity to do so.
Another wave of criticism has been directed the senator’s way, along with new demands for her resignation, including one from Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman. Mr. Bowman, who is Metis, posted a tweet Thursday morning that said, “A Canadian senator s/d know who Canadian citizens are. #makeitawkward #resign”
Rather than listening to those who seek to point out the error of her ways and perhaps offer a bit of useful enlightenment, Ms. Beyak instead leans on the receipt of “letters from the grassroots from across the nation” that support her views.
Not surprisingly, Conservative Senate leader Larry Smith was quick to reject Ms. Beyak’s continuing stance, declaring that additional steps are being taken “to address Senator Beyak’s ongoing role within our caucus.”
The statement, issued Thursday, did not specify whether such steps include asking Ms. Beyak to step down.
They should.
Given every opportunity to listen, learn, reflect and rethink, she has opted to do none of those things. It’s time for Sen. Beyak to resign.