And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
From: "chris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Tories accused of racist tactics
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 11:05:48 -0400
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July 8, 1999 Canadian Press
Filmon faces flak over native-casino decision
SCOTT EDMONDS
WINNIPEG (CP) - Premier Gary Filmon is playing to racist Tories by killing
plans for aboriginal gambling casinos to punish natives for daring to
criticize his government, New Democrats charged Thursday.
"This government's strategy to me is very clear," said Oscar Lathlin, the
member for The Pas and a former chief of the First Nation there. "The
strategy is very simple and that is to play up to the racist attitudes of
Tory supporters."
He said it shows the same disdain Tories displayed during the 1995 election
when they tried to siphon votes from the NDP in ridings with a large
aboriginal vote by secretly backing supposedly independent native
candidates.
Filmon and Native Affairs Minister David Newman alternately blamed native
leaders themselves and a general public reluctance to see gambling expand
for their decision.
The premier said it was the political voice for Manitoba's aboriginal
residents that first rejected a recommendation of a joint aboriginal-cabinet
committee to license two native-run casinos, one in the north and one in the
south.
"The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs rejected it," he said.
"The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said they wanted no strings attached, that
they wanted unlimited casinos and they wanted to be the ones to decide
where, when and how many and we said that is unacceptable.
"That's unacceptable to the people of this province and it should be
unacceptable to any government."
The decision, however, was made only after two nasty skirmishes in the
legislature with aboriginal protesters this year. One got as far as Filmon's
office and another was stopped at the front of the building by riot police
and pepper spray.
Newman denied any link to the demonstrations.
"That is a self-serving and inappropriate interpretation," he told New
Democrats.
But he said if the First Nations community wants to open casinos, it must
educate the general population to overcome a reluctance to expand gambling.
Manitoba aboriginal leaders say the casinos would provide much-needed
revenue and create jobs on First Nations, where unemployment can hit 90 per
cent.
New Democrats and aboriginal leaders say it's hypocritical for the Filmon
Tories to talk about the public's distaste for gambling when they're
spending $66-million to expand two government-run casinos in Winnipeg.
� The Canadian Press, 1999
Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international copyright law.
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