Bill 96, systemic racism take the spotlight at Quebec debate on Indigenous issues

With less than two weeks before Quebecers head to thepolls on Oct. 3, representatives from four of the province's main political parties participated in adebate about issues affecting Indigenous people,in hopes of getting their votes.

Organized by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec Labrador (AFNQL), representatives from the Coalition Avenir Qubec (CAQ), the Parti Qubcois (PQ), Qubec Solidaire (QS) and the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) took part in the bilingual exchange at HEC MontralTuesday night, spending almost two hours answering questions from members of Indigenous communities.

The Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) did not take part.

Moderated by Cree lawyer Marie-ve Bordeleau, the debate focused on topics likelanguage, housing, health and education andgovernance and self-identity. It did not see candidates go head-to-head on topics but they could respond to what others were saying.

Ghislain Picard,headof the AFNQL, said he organized the debate as a way for theparties toengage with Indigenous voters and let themseewhere they stand on issues that matter to them.

"I feel that it was important that we create the space ...otherwise nobody is going to speak about our issues," he said.

In 2018, voter participation in the northern Quebec riding of Ungava was just over 30 per cent less than half what it was in the rest of the province.

Picard said the debate was intended to help change.

Opposing views

During Tuesday's debate, all representatives agreed on the importance of doing better for Indigenous people,but opposing views surfaced on systemic racism andBill 96Quebec's controversial new French-language law.

Asked whether the different parties acknowledge systemic racism, QS co-spokesperson Manon Mass and PLQincumbent Greg Kelleyboth critics for Indigenous Affairs for their respective partiessaid yes.

"There is systemic racism in Quebec and the list of examples is long," said Kelley. "I think it is important that we quickly do adopt Joyce's Principle,"

Joyce's Principle isa series of measures drafted by Indigenous leaders after the death ofJoyce Echaquan, an Indigenous woman who filmed nurses mocking her as she lay dying in a Quebec hospital.

The PQ candidate for theSaint-Hyacinthe riding, AlexisGagn-Lebrun,said hispartyacknowledges the existence of "institutional racism," referring to racist laws and policies.

Meanwhile, outgoing CAQ Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenire touted his party's track record,without addressing systemic racism itself.

"We did not wait, we did not sit on our hands. We made several changes on the ground," he said, saying his party wrote a guide for cultural safety and provided diversity training for health-care personnel.

He acknowledged there is still a lot of work to be donebut said the CAQ "made good progress."

Hours before the debate, CAQ leader and incumbentpremierFranois Legault apologizedfor offending Echaquan's husband.

In response to criticism of his refusal to recognize systemic racism, Legault said during theleaders' first televised debate last weekthatthe racism situation at thehospital where she died "is resolved."

The CAQ government has not adopted Joyce's Principle.

The politicianswere also asked about Bill 96. Indigenous leaders and communities have been asking for exemptionsfrom itto protect their youth and preserve their languages.

The PQ'sGagn-Lebrunand the CAQ's Lafrenire said there are ways to help Indigenous peoplesucceed under the lawbut did not say there would be exemptions for them.

Kelleysaid the Liberalswould grant those exemptions and repeal thesection of the law that pertains to Indigenous people.

Nothing new, says regional chief

Far from a heated debate, the exchange allowed the four parties present to make their commitmentsto Indigenous peopleknown.

For Kelley, it was about restoringrespect and nation-to-nation relationships. On the PQ side, Gagn-Lebrun spoke of a desire for continuity with what the PQ has done in the past, pointing tothe Paix des Braves agreement.

Masssaid QSwants to establish equality and work hand in hand with Indigenous people, while Lafreniresaid the CAQ will continue to build residences forIndigenous students, improve the health system and"provide answers to families who are looking for their missing children."

But regional ChiefPicard saidthese commitments are mostly the same spiel Indigenous peoplehave been hearing for years.

"We certainly witnessed tonight really not much new in terms of the positioning of the parties," said Picard following the debate.

"Tonight, everyone has talked about the nation-to-nation relationship, but there is no one to exercise it," he added.

He said the CAQ government,which holds a commanding lead in the polls, is the only party not in favour of a special legislaturecommittee,"where nations would be able to sit down with the elected officials [in the National Assembly]and tell them "this is who we are and this is what we want."

"I didn't hear that from the outgoing government," he said.

Picard said he hopes the issues brought up Tuesday "will not be a way to put our conscience to rest for the span of a two-hour debate and move on," he said.

"We've seen that too often."