By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD,
To his everlasting credit, Premier Dalton McGuinty stood by his man yesterday.
A firestorm of criticism was unleashed with the release of transcripts of conversations between OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and native protester Shawn Brant during last year's blockade of the rail line between
McGuinty was firm yesterday in continuing his support for Fantino.
"It's really easy for us, in this rarefied atmosphere, far removed from the heat of the moment, to pass judgment on Commissioner Fantino," McGuinty told reporters.
"It's easy to second guess our police from a distance but my experience with Commissioner Fantino is that he has worked long and hard and he has been very determined to be very fair in terms of his approach to all the parties," he said.
What McGuinty didn't say, but you wish he would, is that there is a need to differentiate between legitimate First Nation beefs and random, thrill-seeking hooliganism.
Last year, First Nations leaders were carefully calling for calm on the "day of action."
Brant, who is not a First Nations chief, nor even on the band council of the Tyendinaga reserve near Deseronto, took it upon himself to blockade the country's busiest highway and a major rail link. The province held its breath in anticipation of more Ipperwash and Caledonia-style confrontations.
'GRAVE CONSEQUENCES'
Turns out Fantino spent the night negotiating with Brant. He used colourful expressions such as: "Your whole world is going to come crashing down," and warning that he would do "everything I can within your community everywhere to destroy your reputation," and that there would be "grave consequences," if he didn't end the blockade.
Strong words, sure. But you get the sense he was trying to save Brant from himself.
Brant's lawyer, Peter Rosenthal, has called for McGuinty to suspend Fantino. Asked what Fantino meant by "grave consequences," Rosenthal said:
"Death. Dudley George suffered grave consequences."
Let's all take a deep breath.
"Grave consequences" is a turn of phrase. It is idiomatic and not meant to be taken literally. It is not a reference to the 1995 shooting death of an aboriginal protester by an OPP sniper in
Let's put the words in context: Fantino was warning Brant that the kind of confrontation he was engaging in can escalate. People can get hurt.
Frankly, Brant's actions undermined legitimate First Nations leaders by deflecting attention from real issues.
I would be the first to agree that this province needs to do more to help aboriginal people -- especially those on remote northern reserves. It is also true that our First Nations enjoy a unique position within our society, with special rights and privileges that help them continue their traditional way of life.
MORE HELP NEEDED
This does not give them a get out of jail free card when they break the law.
And I'm tired of people invoking Ipperwash and misrepresenting the report of Mr. Justice Sidney Linden on that tragedy as somehow giving First Nations people the right to do exactly as they please with no obligation on their part to uphold the law.
If a group of young non-native people blockaded, say, the intersection of Jane and Finch, cops would be called, the protesters would be arrested and charged. We cannot have two-tier justice. Young people at Jane and Finch are just as valuable to this province as Shawn Brant. They have the same rights, the same obligations.
McGuinty must stand by Fantino, or risk provoking a thousand anarchists across the province.
And shame on New Democrat Peter Kormos for calling Fantino, "bellicose," "pugilistic," and "inflammatory."
Someone's being inflammatory -- and it isn't Fantino.
I'm not always on the top cop's side. But in this one, his personal intervention in the all-night negotiations saved the province from what could have been a bloodbath.
Suspension? I don't think so. Give Fantino a medal.