Globe: Gary Mason - NDP wants probe into B.C. man's death
Post
NDP wants probe into B.C. man's death, Gary Mason, Globe and Mail, Friday May 12, 2006
VICTORIA — The police shooting of Ian Bush entered the political realm yesterday, with the New Democratic Party Opposition calling on the provincial government to immediately order a coroner's inquest into the tragedy.
The legislature fell silent as Skeena MLA Robin Austin, whose riding includes the small town of Houston where Mr. Bush was killed, got to his feet to describe the terrible circumstances that surrounded the 22-year-old's death.
Mr. Austin condemned the length of time the investigative process is taking, drawing attention to the fact that by the RCMP's own admission, it could be a year or more before the Bush family finds out what happened in the police lockup the night of Oct. 29, 2005, that led to the popular mill worker ending up with a bullet in the back of his head.
The emotion surrounding this case quickly became evident, with Solicitor-General John Les using the questions from Mr. Austin to launch an attack on NDP MP Nathan Cullen for comments he made in The Globe and Mail yesterday.
Mr. Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) acknowledged he was nervous about taking on the RCMP over the Bush shooting because he feared the Mounties might attempt to destroy his political career by dredging up things from his past.
Mr. Les (Chilliwack-Sumas) called Mr. Cullen's assertion "asinine" and was immediately forced by the Speaker of the Legislature to withdraw the remark. He said the assertion was "uncalled for" instead.
But speaking to reporters earlier, Mr. Les was even tougher, saying Mr. Cullen's statement was "despicable" and "unbecoming of an MP." And he called on him to apologize to the RCMP for making it.
Back at the legislature, meantime, Mr. Austin did not get far in his demand for an inquest. No, Mr. Les was having none of it.
The Solicitor-General said it is important that the investigative process under way be allowed to play itself out, regardless of how long it takes. Besides, he maintained, the B.C. Coroners Service is not allowed to start an inquest while the police are in the midst of their own investigation.
If that is the case, it is not written down anywhere in the B.C. Coroners Act. Generally, the coroner's office has been reluctant to commence inquests while the police are investigating cases such as the Bush shooting for fear that testimony might prejudice future legal proceedings.
But that is not official policy.
There is nothing stopping Prince George coroner Shane de Mayer from going ahead with an inquest into the Bush shooting next week if he wants to.
Outside the legislative chamber, Mr. Austin repeated his call for government action.
"I think we all want to be supportive of the police in all cases," he said. "But in order for us to give our full support to the police, we have to know that nothing untoward happened to that young man.
"And I don't think it's fair that we have to wait possibly for months and months more before we find those answers out. Something needs to happen now."
As Mr. Austin pointed out, there were only two people in the RCMP detachment the night of Mr. Bush's death: Mr. Bush and the RCMP constable being investigated in connection with the shooting. Given that, why is the investigation taking so long?
Mr. Austin also said that beyond the stress the Bush family is feeling over the time the investigation is taking, the matter is casting a pall over the whole town of Houston.
The longer it takes for answers about the shooting to emerge, the more strained relations between the police and most of the 4,000 people in the town will become.
But in an interview with The Globe, Mr. Les made it clear he has no plans to interfere with the RCMP's internal investigation. And he has no intention of phoning federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who is in charge of the RCMP, to see whether he can speed the process.
When asked why, given there was only one witness to the shooting, the investigation would take five-plus months, Mr. Les said: "If there was only one person to talk to then I guess there is a lot of investigation to be done."
He didn't say what that might be.
Unlike his colleague, Attorney-General Wally Oppal, who in an earlier interview acknowledged having some concerns about the investigative process in the Bush case, Mr. Les appears to have none. He doesn't lack faith in the RCMP, he said.
And that would appear to be that.
VICTORIA — The police shooting of Ian Bush entered the political realm yesterday, with the New Democratic Party Opposition calling on the provincial government to immediately order a coroner's inquest into the tragedy.
The legislature fell silent as Skeena MLA Robin Austin, whose riding includes the small town of Houston where Mr. Bush was killed, got to his feet to describe the terrible circumstances that surrounded the 22-year-old's death.
Mr. Austin condemned the length of time the investigative process is taking, drawing attention to the fact that by the RCMP's own admission, it could be a year or more before the Bush family finds out what happened in the police lockup the night of Oct. 29, 2005, that led to the popular mill worker ending up with a bullet in the back of his head.
The emotion surrounding this case quickly became evident, with Solicitor-General John Les using the questions from Mr. Austin to launch an attack on NDP MP Nathan Cullen for comments he made in The Globe and Mail yesterday.
Mr. Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) acknowledged he was nervous about taking on the RCMP over the Bush shooting because he feared the Mounties might attempt to destroy his political career by dredging up things from his past.
Mr. Les (Chilliwack-Sumas) called Mr. Cullen's assertion "asinine" and was immediately forced by the Speaker of the Legislature to withdraw the remark. He said the assertion was "uncalled for" instead.
But speaking to reporters earlier, Mr. Les was even tougher, saying Mr. Cullen's statement was "despicable" and "unbecoming of an MP." And he called on him to apologize to the RCMP for making it.
Back at the legislature, meantime, Mr. Austin did not get far in his demand for an inquest. No, Mr. Les was having none of it.
The Solicitor-General said it is important that the investigative process under way be allowed to play itself out, regardless of how long it takes. Besides, he maintained, the B.C. Coroners Service is not allowed to start an inquest while the police are in the midst of their own investigation.
If that is the case, it is not written down anywhere in the B.C. Coroners Act. Generally, the coroner's office has been reluctant to commence inquests while the police are investigating cases such as the Bush shooting for fear that testimony might prejudice future legal proceedings.
But that is not official policy.
There is nothing stopping Prince George coroner Shane de Mayer from going ahead with an inquest into the Bush shooting next week if he wants to.
Outside the legislative chamber, Mr. Austin repeated his call for government action.
"I think we all want to be supportive of the police in all cases," he said. "But in order for us to give our full support to the police, we have to know that nothing untoward happened to that young man.
"And I don't think it's fair that we have to wait possibly for months and months more before we find those answers out. Something needs to happen now."
As Mr. Austin pointed out, there were only two people in the RCMP detachment the night of Mr. Bush's death: Mr. Bush and the RCMP constable being investigated in connection with the shooting. Given that, why is the investigation taking so long?
Mr. Austin also said that beyond the stress the Bush family is feeling over the time the investigation is taking, the matter is casting a pall over the whole town of Houston.
The longer it takes for answers about the shooting to emerge, the more strained relations between the police and most of the 4,000 people in the town will become.
But in an interview with The Globe, Mr. Les made it clear he has no plans to interfere with the RCMP's internal investigation. And he has no intention of phoning federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who is in charge of the RCMP, to see whether he can speed the process.
When asked why, given there was only one witness to the shooting, the investigation would take five-plus months, Mr. Les said: "If there was only one person to talk to then I guess there is a lot of investigation to be done."
He didn't say what that might be.
Unlike his colleague, Attorney-General Wally Oppal, who in an earlier interview acknowledged having some concerns about the investigative process in the Bush case, Mr. Les appears to have none. He doesn't lack faith in the RCMP, he said.
And that would appear to be that.
Home