The BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) has called for the removal of a People’s Party of Canada candidate following her comparison of vaccine passports to residential schools.
Renate Siekmann, the PPC candidate for Vancouver Quadra, sent out the controversial literature to around 52,000 homes in her riding on Wednesday.
It featured a photo of staff and students of the Methodist residential school in 1880 with the large print that said: “Discrimination is wrong. No vaccine passport.”
She said that BC’s history hasn’t always been great, but we must learn from the past and improve.
Today my campaign sent out this literature to approximately 52,000 homes in Vancouver Quadra. BC’s history hasn’t always been great, we must learn from the past & improve. This analogy may make some uncomfortable or angry but this is a hard and important conversation to have. pic.twitter.com/YB6UpzihoT
— Renate Siekmann 盛兰娜 PPC Candidate VancouverQuadra (@renate_siekmann) September 15, 2021
“This analogy may make some uncomfortable or angry but this is a hard and important conversation to have,” Siekman wrote on Twitter.
Her comparison drew the ire of many online, with people calling the comparison “disgusting,” “outrageous,” “tone deaf,” “offensive” and more.
On Wednesday evening, the BCAFN released a statement that called for the PPC to remove Siekmann as a candidate and for party leader Maxime Bernier to denounce her statement.
The statement explained how entire generations of First Nations peoples were stolen from their families and communities to attend residential schools.
BCAFN press release: BC Assembly of First Nations Calls for Removal of Peoples Party Candidate Renate Siekmann https://t.co/ZfYs6QJS20 pic.twitter.com/2OsjItLVmw
— BCAFN (@BCAFN) September 16, 2021
“They were tortured, physically and sexually abused, and murdered. They lost their languages and cultures, and thousands of our precious children never came home,” said Terry Teegee, BCAFN regional chief.
“Claiming that a public health measure, such as a vaccine passport, is somehow comparable or equivalent to violent and genocidal practices is harmful and repugnant.”
Teegee added that Siekmann has shown “an immense depth of ignorance and severe lack of judgment,” but noted that it’s a widespread issue that goes beyond the politician.
“More disheartening is that many Canadians believe that public health measures make them victims of prejudice,” he explained.
“An inconvenient interruption in your social life to save lives during a deadly pandemic is not discrimination. Ms. Siekmann must be removed as a candidate, and Maxime Bernier must apologize.”
