Aug 13/97: BC Liberals want Gustafsen Mountie

BC LIBERALS WANT MOUNTIES' MOUTHPIECE MONTAGUE

Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty (S.I.S.I.S.)
SISIS@envirolink.org
August 13, 1997

Peter Montague, the RCMP's chief media liaison officer at Gustafsen Lake, has been invited by BC Liberal leader Gordon Campbell to run in an upcoming by-election in Surrey/White Rock. According to a small piece in the August 9 Surrey/North Delta News Leader, "Surrey Councillor Judy Higginbotham spilled the beans about Campbell's meeting with Montague to a local radio station."

Montague, a 27 year veteran, was in charge of disseminating much of the demonization and hate propaganda - which RCMP referred to as "our smear and disinformation campaign" - against Shuswap traditionalists and their allies during the summer 1995 siege of sacred Sundance and burial grounds at Gustafsen Lake, manufacturing public consent for the massive paramilitary force deployed by the state. The growing demand for a public inquiry into the incident has thus far been refused by BC's NDP government.

Montague was captured on RCMP "training" video tape (some of which was made public during the recently concluded trial of the Gustafsen Lake Defenders) confessing that "smear campaigns are our specialty," and expressing his hope that "we could have some dead fucking terrorists."

Montague was subsequently promoted to staff-sergeant in charge of the BC force's stock market and securities investigations branch. The Vancouver stock exchange is widely regarded by investors world-wide as notoriously corrupt. Obviously Montague was considered ideally suited for this post, as he is also apparently thought to be eminently qualified for public office.

According to the News Leader article by Niels Peterson, Montague "confirmed he met personally with Campbell in Vancouver to discuss the matter around June 1 after being contacted by two high-level party organizers."

"RCMP rules prohibit members from running for political office, and Montague, 50, says he'd retire before deciding to enter politics. He says he thought Campbell's offer over for a few days before giving his answer."

"After considering everything, my decision was not to do it," said Montague. He declined to discuss whether he has any political ambitions beyond the near future.

The RCMP have recently mounted a major Public Relations campaign, including participation in the North American Indigenous Games and the Vision Quest canoe journey, in an effort to restore their tarnished image. However these feel-good photo-ops fade in light of the force's recent announcement that they've purchased 8 armoured personnel carriers, specifically for use against future aboriginal uprisings.


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