Pallister skips own news conference amid protest

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This article was published 07/04/2016 (3448 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Pallister was a no-show at his own late afternoon event at the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Thursday after more than a dozen protesting youth showed up.

Pallister was to announce that a Progressive Conservative government would introduce a Protecting Children Act to make it easier for various government departments, law enforcement and child protection agencies to share information.

But as the youth gathered at the centre, one sporting a sign reading, “Pallister Served Harper,” the Progressive Conservative leader’s staff cancelled the news conference.

Pallister later said he was late arriving back in the city from events in Brandon and was concerned about a protest upsetting his hosts at Ma Mawi. The event on King Street was scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

“We were 10 minutes late and I had (another) meeting at five I had to get to, too. I really didn’t think it was fair to them (Ma Mawi), frankly,” the PC leader said.

“I don’t know if I made the right call or not. But honestly I just didn’t feel it was fair.”

The youths did not indicate whether they supported a particular political party. They simply referred to themselves as “concerned citizens.” They said they did not intend to disrupt the Tory event, but did want to engage Pallister and challenge some of his ideas.

“If this is an indication of what is to come from the Conservative government then we’re very, very worried, indeed,” said Riley McMurray, one of the protesters. “We expect our government to be accountable and engaging with its citizens.”

Pallister said earlier this week that his party could reduce the record number of children in care of Child and Family Services agencies by ensuring their parents have jobs.

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Protester Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie called that view simplistic.

“He’s not addressing the barriers for why a lot of families don’t get jobs,” she said.

Describing herself as “pro-social justice,” Lavoie said the child welfare system is oppressive to indigenous people, something, she said, Pallister is not addressing. She said getting a minimum wage job is not going to pull someone out of poverty or allow them to get their kids back.

“I want to know what his stance is, and he’s too scared to say it in front of us face to face,” Lavoie said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca