For immediate release
June 17, 2020
NDP Caucus calls for action on violence against Indigenous women, systemic racism in the province
Today the NDP Caucus questioned government on violence against Indigenous women and what actions government will take to eliminate the pervasive problem of racism in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Question Period, NDP Leader Alison Coffin (MHA, St. John’s East–Quidi Vidi) said 144 Indigenous and non-Indigenous women have been murdered or are still missing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Indigenous women in Canada are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women. They are 3.5 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be victims of violence and intimate partner violence, and they are more often subject to severe intimate partner violence resulting in death,” Coffin said.
“I ask the Minister, after four years in government, why have these statistics gotten worse and what is she going to do about it?”
The NDP Critic for Indigenous Affairs, Jordan Brown (MHA, Labrador West) says systemic racism and ignorance towards our Indigenous peoples is very much apparent in our province and has become more prevalent in recent years.
“I ask the Minister Responsible for Labrador and Indigenous Affairs, what concrete actions is government planning in order to fight racism in this province?”
Brown continued, “We continue to hear nice things in this House about fighting racism. I ask the Premier, will his government create a task force to end systemic racism within the government and this province?”
Coffin says that responses from the respective Ministers to her Caucus’s questions were weak and disheartening, and the NDP Caucus will continue to press for action.
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For further information, contact Zaren Healey White, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), 693-9172 (c), or zarenhealeywhite@gov.nl.ca