Tŝilhqot’in Chiefs call for removal of Conservative Party Member due to Racism.
In a press release earlier today, The Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) has called on BC Conservative Leader, John Rustad, to remove candidate. Marina Sapozhnikov. after she made racist and derogatory comments against Indigenous peoples in the media.
“Supporting candidates such as this, with views such as this, you’re going to bring this province to a halt,” Chief Joe Alphonse says. ” You want to be a leader, you want to lead this province, John Rustad, then show some leadership in dealing with this. Remove her.”
Sapozhnikov was recorded making racial slurs against Indigenous Peoples on election night, calling Indigenous peoples “savages”, and claiming that “90 per cent of Indigenous people use or sell drugs”. Sapozhnikov also condemned Indigenous history being taught in BC high schools and universities.
Alphonse makes a call to Sapozhnikov’s profession as a doctor, that the medical boards should look into her position, as it is “alarming that someone with such views” could have First Nation patients, while there is already distrust between medical practitioners and First Nations due to decades of colonial and settler practice abuse.
“The colonial history of British Columbia and Canada was perpetrated by people in positions of power sharing the same racist dismissal of Indigenous peoples as “savages.” These views were what led to the Residential School system and abuse of our way of life. The TNG calls for the immediate removal of Marina Sapozhnikov from the B.C. Conservative Party.” TNG’s press release states, calling Rustad to take action.
John Rustad said to media on Tuesday, October 29, that Sapozhnikov will not be returning as a candidate “moving forward” should there be a snap election. Yet, Rustad has still not made any indication that he plans on removing Sapozhnikov from the party.
Chief Alphonse says that the TNG would like to see Rustad take “a harder line on these type of issues”. Alphonse says that the TNG, and all First Nations have spent resources that have proven that Sapozhnikov’s [and other elected Conservative MLA]’s claims on Residential Schools and Indigenous peoples drug usages false.
“It is shameful and an embarrassment, that anybody can see evidence and think and say that,” Chief Alphonse says. “If that’s their position, they shouldn’t and don’t belong in politics.”
“If you’re a leader of a party, and you allow that to happen, then you got to shoulder the blame too.”
The Williams Lake riding elected Loerne Doerkson for the Conservative Party as their MLA. Chief Alphonse says the TNG are still “interested” in working openly with Doerkson in his position, however, the actions of the Conservative Party will affect how the TNG trusts the party’s intentions going forward.
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