‘He should’ve been re-vetted’: justice minister apologizes for McCrae appointment By: Carol Sanders Posted: 8:05 PM CDT Monday, May. 29, 2023

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Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen apologized Monday for the committee appointment of a former Tory cabinet minister who has publicly denied the harmful impact of residential schools.

Goertzen blamed a “deficiency” in the vetting process.

Former attorney general Jim McCrae was appointed May 10 to the committee that helps select judicial officers (or masters) for the Court of King’s Bench. McCrae resigned from the position last week, after the Free Press raised questions about the appointment.

On Monday, Goertzen told reporters he didn’t know about McCrae’s opinion pieces minimizing residential school harms, and after serving on the social services appeal board for the last six years, McCrae was appointed to another provincial board without being properly vetted.

“He should’ve been re-vetted,” Goertzen said. “I suspect what happened was, because he had been on the board a long time, that didn’t happen. I think it did point out a deficiency, and it will be corrected.”

During question period, NDP critic for Indigenous reconciliation Eric Redhead asked Premier Heather Stefanson for an apology.

“Jim McCrae’s history of residential school denialism is well-documented,” said Redhead.

“He’s published multiple articles on the subject, including two in the last six months (that) downplay the terrible history of residential schools and claim the number of people who died in residential schools is inflated and also questions the truth behind the stories of survivors,” the MLA for Thompson said.

“Despite these racist writings, the PCs have appointed him to multiple important boards.”

“Jim McCrae’s history of residential school denialism is well-documented… Despite these racist writings, the PCs have appointed him to multiple important boards.”–Eric Redhead

Goertzen responded, saying the NDP critic indicated he knew about McCrae’s writings for a long time and the boards he served on “yet he didn’t raise these issues before.”

The justice minister went on to say McCrae’s views “are not representative of government,” and “I apologize personally for the harm and hurt they’ve caused.”

After question period, Goertzen said he’s been busy working on reconciliation projects, and again apologized for the error in appointing McCrae (a Tory MLA from 1986-99).

“l know for the Indigenous community this would have brought up a lot of hurt feelings and harm, and it has taken away from some initiatives like the Provincial Offences Act, which been sought for a long time from the Indigenous community,” said Goertzen.

If made law, the bill will enable First Nations to lay charges using tickets and to collect unpaid fines.

The MLA for Steinbach said he thinks others in government were also unaware of McCrae’s writings, which the minister said he hasn’t since read in detail.

“I don’t spend a lot of time diving into the internet looking into people who are denying or minimizing the harm of residential schools,” Goertzen told reporters after question period. “I spend a lot more time educating myself on the harms of residential schools.”

If that’s correct, then how could Goertzen have missed seeing McCrae’s writings, asked the chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

“His denialism is well-known, goes back a long time, and if the minister was in fact educating himself on the internet about residential schools, this would have come up in his research,” former senator and judge Murray Sinclair said in an interview Monday.

Sinclair said he doesn’t believe McCrae’s latest appointment wasn’t vetted.

“I’ve worked in a minister’s office and I’ve worked in government, and I know they would not appoint a person to a position like this without there being a vetting process put in place,” Sinclair said.

“Somebody in every minister’s office is responsible for vetting appointments that the minister is going to have to approve and carry forward.”

An apology from the minister is not a sufficient amends, Sinclair said late Monday.

“They should appoint an independent appointments process, so that they’ve got people in place who can be trusted to do the proper research to ensure that people who are in positions of influencing people in society and directing society follow the proper ethical principles,” he said.

“That entity must be independent of government.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca