The recent deaths of Indigenous people in New Brunswick discussed during Question Period in the Legislature on Tuesday.
Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi were killed in incidents involving police which are both being investigated by an outside agency from Quebec.
Miramichi Bay-Neguac Liberal MLA Lisa Harris spoke of visiting Rodney Levi’s community on the weekend.
“I visited Metepenagiag on Saturday and again yesterday with our leader and it was very sad and it was very tragic. When you listen to the pain and the anguish that the leaders and the community members are feeling it’s almost unbearable,” Harris said.
Liberal MLA Lisa Harris asked Premier Higgs if he is “OK” with having no Indigenous representation as part of this investigation.
Higgs says there should be First Nations involvement and oversight in the process.
“[So] it’s fully transparent and the results and recommendations that come out of it can be implemented and changes can be made,” Higgs said.
Green Party leader David Coon noted a long list of reports on Indigenous affairs in Canada with no action and posed this question to the premier.
“What real action is he going to take now that he’s in the driver’s seat?,” Coon said.
Premier Higgs responded by suggesting the formation of another an all-party committee on this topic similar to the one struck to battle COVID-19
“Maybe we can start on that same process and get some agreement and alignment amongst our parties about what are the next best steps,” Higgs said.
Coon says proportionally, the deaths of Levi and Moore, are the equivalent of 70 non-native New Brunswickers being killed in police shootings.
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