Premier’s firm stance against landfill search on shaky ground

Opinion

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This article was published 14/07/2023 (785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Heather Stefanson increasingly finds herself on the wrong side of the landfill search debate. It’s a political problem that will only get worse for the premier, as momentum grows in favour of conducting a search for the remains of two Indigenous women, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, who were slain in 2022 and whose bodies are believed to be in Prairie Green Landfill.

Stefanson announced last week she is opposed to a landfill search. She made the decision prematurely, without knowing all the facts and without consulting all the stakeholders. The more obvious that becomes in the minds of Manitobans, the greater the political harm to her and the Progressive Conservative party. That’s bad news for the Tories, who face near-certain defeat in the Oct. 3 election.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has scheduled a news conference for Monday and plans to release more details of a study it commissioned that found a search is feasible, but could take up to three years and cost between $84 million and $184 million. While a search would pose potential health risks to those who conduct it, more information is expected about how such an operation could be safely carried out.

The federal government is on board and Winnipeg’s mayor and city council want the two senior levels of government to work together on the issue to find common ground. Many are calling for consultation, co-operation and a compassionate approach to a very difficult and sensitive issue, one that has broader implications related to the goals of reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Stefanson continues to dig in.

Politically, that’s a major error. By taking a hard line with the Indigenous community and ignoring requests to sit down and discuss the issue further, Stefanson is alienating a sizeable portion of Manitoba voters. It’s a hawkish approach that may play well with hard-core Conservatives, especially in rural, southern Manitoba. But it strikes a sour chord in more moderate parts of the province, including in Winnipeg where the PC party desperately needs support.

Stefanson doesn’t need votes in seats such as Steinbach, Turtle Mountain and Lakeside, she needs support in Winnipeg constituencies such as Southdale, Riel, and Seine River, which her party is on the verge of losing.

Stefanson’s polarizing approach is fuelling racist sentiment in some parts of the province. She is creating unnecessary divisions and reinforcing racist views among those who have bigoted attitudes towards Indigenous people.

I’ve been hearing from some of those folks over the past week. I expect to hear more as their misguided rage grows. The racist flare-up has not gone unnoticed in the Indigenous community.

The premier’s decision was not only reckless and heartless, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said this week, it has also “invited racist attacks against MMIWG2S+ family members by ignorant citizens emboldened by premier Stefanson’s stance.”

The longer the premier digs in, the more explosive the situation will become.

The irony is that Stefanson on Thursday accused Liberal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller of trying to “inflame and distort” the situation, after he had accused her of being “heartless” for refusing to back the landfill search. Miller could have used more tact. As a federal minister, he should have chosen his words more carefully.

Still, Stefanson’s accusations are astounding considering her divisive approach to the issue. If anyone has inflamed the situation, by taking such a rigid and polarizing stance, it’s the premier.

It’s not too late for Stefanson to do the right thing. She could reverse her decision and announce she is now open to further talks on the issue by exploring options with Ottawa and Manitoba chiefs.

Admitting you were wrong in politics is a hard thing to do. No politician likes to do it. But it’s usually a sign of real leadership. Premiers and prime ministers don’t always get it right on first blush. Sometimes they have to take a step back and re-evaluate.

For the sake of reconciliation and to show respect for the families of the deceased, Stefanson should reconsider. She needs to listen, consult and find common ground. The path she’s on now is a destructive one.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca