Statement made on 19 October 2011 by Senator Roméo Dallaire
Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. We were recently informed of an issue concerning the use of elements of the Canadian Forces in Canada.
During the 1995 referendum, a sensitive time, I was the commander of the Armed Forces for the entire province of Quebec. At that time, Hydro-Québec wanted to flood part of the province, and the Cree community was vehemently opposed. I was not allowed to prepare a prevention plan because of the concern that the media would find out and that it would cause friction.
Just recently, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations said that the Canadian Forces National Counter-Intelligence Unit has been monitoring the activities of the Assembly of First Nations in their activism and in their protests. Apparently, they are considered to be a threat to national safety and security.
Is the government saying that the Aboriginal people who are protesting are a security threat to the nation and need to be watched by the counter-intelligence forces, versus the gang who are occupying Toronto to protest events in the financial community? Could the leader give us any information on what is mandating the counter-intelligence unit to target the Aboriginal peoples and their protests?
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