Three leaders of sa国际传媒鈥檚 ethnic and indigenous communities say a Liberal government memo on wooing ethnic voters is racist, offensive and insulting.
The leaders representing First Nations, Chinese-Canadians and Indo-Canadians used strong language at a news conference Thursday to denounce the memo, leaked last week. It suggested ways, including the spending of taxpayers鈥� dollars, that the Liberals could attract 鈥渆thnic鈥� voters before the May 14 election.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of sa国际传媒 Indian Chiefs, said under Christy Clark鈥檚 premiership, indigenous issues have been treated by Victoria with 鈥渃omplete indifference.鈥�
鈥淣ow we find that, in spite of cutting back on those very desperately needed funding for programs and services, they鈥檙e in the backroom and formally developing a racist strategy to pander to the ethnic community and indigenous community for votes,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t is morally offensive. It is politically offensive. It鈥檚 the use of public funds for purely political purposes.鈥�
The memo has claimed two officials. Kim Haakstad, Clark鈥檚 deputy chief of staff, resigned for her involvement in circulating the memo. Multiculturalism Minister John Yap resigned even though the memo was written three months before he became minister.
Phillip said the memo has badly damaged to the relationship between the government and sa国际传媒鈥檚 ethnic and indigenous communities.
鈥淎nything that follows from this point forward with this government is highly suspect. One has to wonder, what is the motivation? Is this another sleazy underhanded scheme to secure a greater percentage of the ethnic or indigenous vote? It has completely tainted the relationship.
鈥淲e have to send a very strong message not only to the Clark government but to the potential for an NDP government that reconciliation is a very serious undertaking. It must be genuine. It must reflect substance. We expect more than to simply be trotted out to dance during holidays and then ignored.鈥�
Apologizing for historical injustices was one of the tactics suggested in the memo. It cited the 2008 Liberal apology for the 1914 incident involving the ship Komagata Maru as an example. Some 356 British subjects and potential immigrants from India were denied entry and forced to stay on the ship anchored in Burrard Inlet for two months.
Sid Chow Tan, president of the Head Tax Families Society of sa国际传媒, said demands for apologies for such things as the Chinese head tax is about justice. He said they must be separate from photo opportunities that go on during an election campaign.
鈥淒o not take an issue that is visceral in our community and play with it in this way,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is arrogant. It is dismissive and insulting.鈥�
Charan Gill, chief executive officer of Progressive Intercultural Services Society, said the leaked multicultural memo has angered Indo-Canadians.
鈥淭reat us with respect and integrity and don鈥檛 use us as a commodity,鈥� said Gill, who has sought election as a New Democrat.
