Premier Andrew Furey says he will not remove Perry Trimper from the Liberal caucus as requested by the Innu Nation.
The Premier told reporters that Trimper offered a heartfelt apology and was emotional in making the decision to step aside from his parliamentary secretary duties, and in his decision not to run again. Furey says Trimper told him that he’s done with politics.
Given all that, Furey said he has decided not to remove him from caucus. Instead, he’s giving Trimper the opportunity to ride out his current term until the next election.
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As for the larger issue of relations with the Innu Nation, Furey noted he himself was not offered any Indigenous sensitivity training after he was sworn in, but believes all of government—not just MHAs—could use a serious refresher on the topic if relations between the provincial government and Indigenous groups are to improve any time soon.
He said that goes beyond just changing the language that’s used, but improving people’s behaviours and understanding of the serious issues and racist sentiment Indigenous people face every day.
