(Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak (right) will remain within the Tory caucus.)
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA – Controversial Conservative Sen. Lynn Beyak has been removed from all Senate committees following remarks about First Nations which have been widely condemned.
Beyak remains a member of the Conservative caucus but has lost her spots on the Senate’s agriculture, defence and transportation committees.
Sen. Larry Smith, the leader of the Conservatives in the Senate, says in a statement today the decision is an internal party matter and Beyak has been given guidelines going forward.
He did not elaborate on those guidelines and says he considers the matter closed.
Beyak issued a letter earlier this month calling for First Nations people to give up their status cards in exchange for a one-time cash payment and said they could then practise their culture “on their own dime.”
She was removed from the Senate aboriginal affairs committee by former party leader Rona Ambrose in the spring after she said more good than bad happened at residential schools and that people were focusing too much on the abuse rather than the positive impact the schools had.
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Freedom of speech does not exist on this site….they will not post comments that does not fit their agenda!
She is most likely just one out of millions who think like her. Such people do not belong in any office … especially with government. Narrow minded people should not be representing anyone. Awe her poor kids.
Maybe she can have Harpo’s closet to finish up her term. Lady of the brooms and dust bins.
Am glad she didn’t resign! To fire her is the right thing to do! She is not a true Canadian but demonstrated twice she is a KKKanadian!
I agree she should be removed from the Senate. Her comments are beyond the pale.
Removing her from a few committees is not enough.
I’m from NW Ontario and would like her to be removed from Senate. It’s a shame to have an ignorant person like her in any government position. She wouldn’t be saying these things if this happened to her and her race. These are human rights abuses that she is defending.
I don’t see anything mentioned about her position where she controls half of Indian Affairs…does she still hold that position???
Beyak is a Senator, not a cabinet minister. You might be thinking of Carolyn Bennett, who is now the Minister for Indigenous-Crown Relations.