Premier Blaine Higgs says he didn’t interfere in systemic racism commissioner Manju Varma’s work. But chiefs from nine Mi’kmaw communities say the commissioner told them the government wasn’t prepared to accept her call for an immediate, Indigenous-led public inquiry.
The senior policy adviser to New Brunswick s commissioner on systemic racism has resigned, citing questions about the office s independence from government.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn says she doesn’t understand why an adviser to the commissioner on systemic racism would question the government’s commitment to her independence.
Manju Varma’s plan to release a mid-term report, which urged the New Brunswick government to call a public inquiry, came to a halt after an April 13 meeting with Premier Blaine Higgs and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn.
A senior policy adviser to Manju Varma, the New Brunswick commissioner of systemic racism, has announced his resignation, saying he questions whether government leadership respects Varma's independence.