For immediate release, January 31, 2008
Vancouver – The United Native Nations, B.C.’s largest urban aboriginal group, has called a meeting of other urban aboriginal organizations for next week to discuss a formal response to what it calls “double dealing” by B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal in relation to the Frank Paul inquiry.
“The Attorney General met with us on July 18, 2007 and assured us that everyone that was involved in Frank Paul’s death would be subject to the inquiry he was calling,” says David Dennis, vice-president of the United Native Nations Society. “Now he’s hired two of the best lawyers in Canada to argue that his own ministry should be immune from scrutiny.”
On January 17 and 18, the Commissioner for the Frank Paul Inquiry heard arguments from Richard Peck, Q.C. and Michael Code, former Assistant Deputy Attorney General in British Columbia that the crown prosecutors involved in the Paul case should be excluded from testifying at the inquiry. A decision is expected on the issue shortly.
“We’re calling on the Attorney General to withdraw his application for immunity from the Commissioner and to let the Commission get on with its work,” says Dennis. “Whether the application is successful to protect the crown prosecutors is successful or it fails, the impact of this double dealing on aboriginal and government relations will be the same.”
United Native Nations is calling the urban aboriginal groups that supported its application for standing at the inquiry together for a meeting to discuss their response to the Attorney General’s application for immunity. The groups include the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee; the Aboriginal Mother Centre; Circle of Eagles Lodge; Healing our Spirit; Helping Spirit Lodge; Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Alliance Society; Lu’ma Native Housing; Pacific Association of First Nations Women; the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society; the Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Program; Vancouver Native Health Society; and the Vancouver Native Housing Society.
The Frank Paul inquiry has been sitting since November of 2007 and is inquiring into the death of Frank Paul, an urban aboriginal man who was left in an alley by the Vancouver Police Department in December of 1998 and died of hypothermia. The inquiry is expected to sit until March of 2008. The B.C. Ambulance Service, Coroner’s Service, VPD, and the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner have all been required to participate in the inquiry.
For further information contact:
David Dennis, Vice President, UNNS – 604-868-4283
Cameron Ward, Counsel for UNNS – 604-833-8538
Filed under: All News, Justice, Youth Section , Aboriginal Death, Frank Paul, Inquiry, United Native Nations
