NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called a Bloc Quebecois MP racist Wednesday after a New Democrat motion on RCMP discrimination failed to receive unanimous consent from the House of Commons.
Singh refused to apologize for the words directed at Bloc member Alain Therrien. That prompted the Speaker to order Singh to leave the House for the rest of the day.
Singh had asked the Commons to recognize there is systemic racism in the RCMP and to call on the government to review the force鈥檚 budget, ensure the Mounties are truly accountable and do a full review of the RCMP鈥檚 use of force.
There was at least one objection that blocked the move, though it was unclear who said no.
Bloc MP Claude DeBellefeuille came to Therrien鈥檚 defence, saying the NDP was treating her colleague as 鈥渁 racist person, which is unacceptable in the House of Commons.
The Speaker asked Singh to apologize but he refused.
鈥淚t鈥檚 true, I called him a racist, and I believe that鈥檚 so,鈥� Singh said.
The parliamentary dustup followed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 acknowledgment Wednesday that existing systems have failed to adequately address concerns about police behaviour, including in the Mounties.
Asked about the fact it often takes years for the RCMP to act on recommendations from the force鈥檚 civilian watchdog, Trudeau said: 鈥淲e are going to move much quicker on responding to these things, on making changes to our institutions, to really go after systemic discrimination.鈥�
The Green party鈥檚 Elizabeth May wants a full inquiry into the RCMP, saying the national police force鈥檚 culture of unaccountability must be put under a microscope.
May, the party鈥檚 parliamentary leader, rhymed off a list of questions Wednesday morning about RCMP conduct, from deadly confrontations with Indigenous people to slow responses to formal recommendations.
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But May told a media briefing the force acts as if it鈥檚 above the law in a way that goes beyond any one incident or report.
鈥淭he RCMP clearly sees itself as unaccountable,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne or two tweaking measures around the margins won鈥檛 make the difference.鈥�
At his own briefing Wednesday, hours before the sitting in the Commons, Singh also urged more transparency and accountability from the RCMP and other forces.
In particular, Singh said there needs to be improved scrutiny of public complaints about incidents involving police.
鈥淲e found that throughout Canada this is an ongoing concern, that the investigations are not conducted in a way where people are left feeling satisfied that it was thorough and that it was independent.鈥�
On Tuesday, Sen. Lillian Dyck called for RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki to resign for failing to understand systemic racism.
Lucki recently stopped short of acknowledging there is entrenched racism in the RCMP, only to agree days later it does exist.
May suggested the RCMP鈥檚 problems cannot be remedied by a simple change at the top.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to pin it on any one person because I think it鈥檚 cultural.鈥�
She said Lucki could take positive steps now by acting on recommendations from long-standing reports about the policing of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Leaders have expressed a lack of confidence in the RCMP commissioner鈥檚 ability to tackle systemic racism after she was unable to say whether it existed in the RCMP
鈥� Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh)
We need systemic changes so that not one more Indigenous person dies at the hands of the RCMP
鈥擶ith a report from Lee Berthiaume
Jim Bronskill , The Canadian Press
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