(Orillia) – Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North and Opposition Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services criticized the McGuinty Government for their lack of action which could have prevented the walk off of jail guards from the Don Jail and the Toronto West Detention Centre yesterday due to racist threats.

Approximately two years ago, Mr. Dunlop raised this very issue directly to the former Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Hon. Monte Kwinter, during question period. At that time the Minister promised that this matter was being looked into. To date nothing has been resolved.

“It is unfortunate that for the past three years these guards have lived in fear of their lives, while the Minister and the government could have intervened to resolve this very serious issue”, said Dunlop. “With yesterday’s walk off it is quite evident that the government isn’t taking this matter seriously. It is time they stood up for these individuals who play a crucial role in protecting our safety by putting their own safety at risk”.

Please see the attached transcript from Hansard:

April 11, 2006 - CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

Mr. Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. For the past 15 months, black and South Asian correctional workers in your Toronto institutions have faced threats and bullying from colleagues. How much longer are you going to tolerate racism within our correctional facilities?

Hon. Monte Kwinter (Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services): We have zero tolerance against any employee of the Ontario government, regardless of what ministry they are responsible to. Specifically about the case you're talking about, this is under investigation not only by the Toronto city police but by ministry officials. You should know that this is something that is not acceptable.

Having said that, this is also not the first time it has happened. It happened in 1998, 2000 and 2002. That was ongoing through the people appealing to the Human Rights Commission. The Human Rights Commission set up a tribunal. They have appointed two consultants who are working with the ministry to address this issue across the whole system.

I want to reiterate that it's unacceptable. It's something we are dealing with, but we cannot act until --

The Speaker (Hon. Michael A. Brown): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Dunlop: Minister, I just want to point out that you are responsible for the correctional facilities in our province and what actually happens with the system and its employees. We have a problem that has been going on for 15 months, and it involves racial attacks against the highest-level black employee in our correction system, the deputy superintendent of administration, Mr. Dave Mitchell. I know Mr. Mitchell personally, and I know he's one of the most outstanding employees we have in the correctional system. I understand that your ministry is investigating the allegations. Can you answer me this: When did the investigation commence, when do you expect the investigation to be completed and are you prepared to recommend to the Attorney General that a public inquiry be called pending the outcome of your investigation?

Hon. Mr. Kwinter: I don't really want to comment on a specific case, because it is something that is under investigation. I can't tell you when it's going to be finished because I'm not conducting the investigation. It's being conducted by the Toronto Police Service and it's being conducted by ministry officials.

I can tell you that once we have the results of that investigation -- and the member would realize that this is not the kind of activity where you can very easily determine who is doing it just by the very nature of it. People are doing it behind closed doors or in the dead of night. They're not identifying themselves and it's a very difficult case. I can't respond as to what we're going to do until we get that report from both my ministry officials and the police service, and then we will decide how we can address it.

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For more information please contact:
Garfield Dunlop, MPP
705-327-4500 cell