Harris's desire to end Ipperwash standoff influenced police: George lawyer

Mon Aug 21, 6:17 PM
By Gregory Bonnell
Canadian Press

FOREST, Ont. (CP) - Mike Harris may not have issued specific orders to clear aboriginal protesters out of Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995, but the "forcefulness" of his opinions likely filtered down to front-line officers, the inquiry into the fatal confrontation with Dudley George heard Monday.

Harris's desire for a quick end to the 1995 standoff was apparent at several government meetings attended by seconded provincial police officers, including one with the former Ontario premier himself, said Murray Klippenstein, a lawyer for the George family.

"He made it clear what he wanted, the kinds of time frames he wanted, the forcefulness with which he wanted it," Klippenstein said as the public inquiry into George's death entered its final week.

"It looks like various people got the message."

The extent to which Harris may have influenced the way police handled the standoff has been a key issue at the judicial probe into George's death, which is expected to wrap up Friday after several days of final submissions.

Lawyers for Harris and several of his former cabinet ministers, including Charles Harnick, Chris Hodgson and Bob Runciman, are expected to argue their cases Tuesday.

Klippenstein told the inquiry that several tape-recorded phone conversations between officers, some which followed meetings at the provincial legislature, influenced decision making on the ground.

While provincial police Insp. John Carson, the incident commander at Ipperwash, took a dinner break, two other officers translated the premier's wishes into an order that saw the heavily armed crowd management unit, or "riot squad," march on the protesters, Klippenstein argued.

In their closing submissions, the Chiefs of Ontario - a group representing the leaders of 154 First Nations communities across the province - were less charitable to Carson, saying he personally deployed the unit because he "was aware that the premier of the province was displeased... and wanted swift, affirmative action."

"The action taken by the (police) was the logical, foreseeable, and desired result of the proactive actioning approach that the Harris government had been pursuing," lawyer Bill Horton told the inquiry.

"Dudley George died as a result of the anti-native policies of the Harris government and the specific interventions of Mike Harris in the occupation of the Ipperwash park."

George was shot by a police sniper on Sept. 6, 1995, when provincial police marched into the park. A splinter group of aboriginals from the nearby Kettle and Stony Point reserve had taken control of the park two days earlier, claiming they were protecting burial grounds.

That claim was later supported by the release of federal documents.

In February, Harris conceded that the government, as owners of the land, wanted the natives out "as soon as possible." But he also insisted he knew full well the government couldn't influence the actions of police.

In final written submissions filed with the inquiry, Harris's lawyers note that "Carson testified that he received no direction from Mike Harris, or anyone in his government, as to how he was to carry out... the OPP's operations at Ipperwash."

Before lawyers began making their final submissions Monday, Sam George gave an emotional address to the inquiry in which he lauded his brother for defending aboriginal rights.

"I'm very proud of Dudley because of the way he stood up for himself and his people," said George, who campaigned for years to have an inquiry called into his brother's death.

"He believed why he was there, and it was time to protect our lands... and for this he gave his life."

The George family told the inquiry that the province should officially transfer the park, located on the shores of Lake Huron in southwestern Ontario, to the aboriginal group to whom he said it rightfully belongs.

"I know the inquiry is all about healing," George said outside the hearing.

"Before any healing can take place you must go back to what's causing the sore to fester... once the land is returned, (then we) will start to heal."

Justice Sidney Linden is expected to deliver his final report to the Ontario government before year's end.

Since the inquiry began 25 months ago, 139 witnesses have provided testimony during 229 days of hearings.