Natives spoiled - Reform MP

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Preston Manning must be looking for a good cleaning service. After Reform Party MP Herb Grubel dropped a controversial remark about Natives in the House of Common, Party Leader Manning was left with a splattered suit.

Grubel, a German-born MP in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, likened Aboriginals to lazy children in a June 9 address at the nation's capital. He compared government funding toward Native programs to a rich uncle giving money to a spoiled teenager. Grubel made the statements during a debate on legislation to enact Yukon land claim settlements.

Official transcripts also show Grubel saying:

"We have refused to give in to our children, yet we have been misguided when in the past we have given into the demands of the Native community to give them more physical goods, to allow them to live on their South Sea island equivalent."

Reaction to the inflammatory remarks were immediate. Aboriginal leaders called for the resignation of Grubel, while Liberal and NDP party leaders slammed the former professor of economics' comments as reprehensible and clearly prejudiced.

Manning issued a statement saying Grubel's remarks were unacceptable and did not reflect Reform policy or attitude toward Natives.

Grubel tried to take cover from the outrage his remarks in the common sparked by apologizing for offending the community.

"It was not my intent to malign in any way Native Canadians or to suggest they are lazy or spoiled," he said.