Chrétien says he never heard of abuse at residential schools during time as minister

MONTREAL – Former prime minister Jean Chrétien says that when he was in government he was unaware of the abuse that took place in residential schools across the country.

Speaking Sunday on the popular Quebec TV talk show, “Tout le monde en parle,” Chrétien said the issue was never brought to his attention during his time as Indian affairs minister from 1968 to 1974.

He said he knew residential schools existed and how difficult the experience was, drawing a comparison with his own time in boarding school when he was fed baked beans and oatmeal.

The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at residential school sites across Canada over the summer reawakened conversations around the discriminatory system designed to assimilate Indigenous children.

Innu author Michel Jean, another guest on the show, criticized Chrétien’s comparison of residential schools to his boarding school experience, saying the former prime minister doesn’t understand the abuse Indigenous children experienced.

The 87-year-old Chrétien was invited to the show to talk about his new book.

Indigenous leaders and New Democrats say naming a new cabinet is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chance to restore residential school survivors’ confidence in his government’s commitment to reconciliation.

Trudeau will reveal his new cabinet tomorrow, which is when NDP M-P Charlie Angus says he should fire Crowns-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett because of the Ottawa’s continued fight against residential school survivors to get police records.

Angus says the Liberal government should also drop its court battle.

A spokeswoman for Indigenous Services Canada says the government is consulting on the ruling and will provide an update on what it decides.

Trudeau has to pick a new cabinet as he faces criticism for his commitment to reconciliation after travelling to Tofino last month on the country’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.