Dr. Bhullar Says Nothing Less Than Dismantling This Racist College Body Will Be Satisfactory To Him And His Indo-Canadian Colleagues

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RACISM AGAINST INDO-CANADIAN VETERINARIANS CONTINUE

DESPITE HUMAN RIGHTS RULING!

College of Veterinarians Of B.C. Defy BC Liberal Ministers And Continue To Abuse Indo-Canadian Veterinarians By Appealing Landmark Human Rights Ruling!

Having been caught with their pants down again, College of Veterinarians Of B.C. Registrar and CEO Larry Odegard described his trusted inspector Hudson Andrews’ “racist” remarks as just a “part of an investigative technique” designed to get people to validate allegations. Are The Indo-Canadian Veterinarians some Criminals the College is pursuing? The College top brass is never going to learn and something drastically needs to be done by the BC Liberal government immediately to restore some sanity to the College by dismantling the College’s current governing structure so that the racist abuse, which Dr. Hakam Bhullar and other Indo-Canadian Veterinarians continue to suffer, can STOP! Dr. Bhullar also isn’t happy with the College selecting J. E. Michel Bastarache to review the conduct of the College. Bastarache is a Counsel in the Gall, Legge, Grant And Munro LLP, which is the firm led by Peter Gall, the College’s main lawyer who has been fighting their cases over the last decade. “Someone independent should be appointed if they are going to do this useless exercise of looking at the College’s conduct, which is in plain sight in the Human Rights Tribunal’s 2000 word ruling,” Dr. Bhullar said.

By R. Paul Dhillon

VANCOUVER – Having been caught with their pants down again, College of Veterinarians Of B.C. Registrar and CEO Larry Odegard described his trusted inspector Hudson Andrews’ “racist” remarks as just a “part of an investigative technique” designed to get people to validate allegations.

Are The Indo-Canadian Veterinarians some Criminals the College is pursuing?

This seems more like a witch-hunt!

Would this happen if these veterinarians were JEWISH?

The College top brass is never going to learn and something drastically needs to be done by the BC Liberal government immediately to restore some sanity to the College by dismantling the College’s current governing structure so that the racist abuse, which Dr. Hakam Bhullar and other Indo-Canadian Veterinarians continue to suffer, can STOP!

“How much abuse are we supposed to take and for how long. Despite the Human Rights Tribunal Ruling, despite the latest episode where we caught them trying to manufacture evidence against me, making threats against my life, and despite Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick’s assurances that they would do something if the College did not accept the Tribunal ruling, the racist abuse against me and my fellow Indo-Canadian veterinarians continues,” said a tired Dr. Bhullar.

“And we are supposed to live in a country where this doesn’t happen and is not supposed to happen from the very professional organization that is supposed to govern us and yet it continues unabashed. This is really shameful. Sorry we cannot change the skin of our colour to white so our fight continues,” added Dr. Bhullar.

DR. Bhullar said nothing less than dismantling this racist college body will be satisfactory to me and my Indo-Canadian colleagues!

Both the BC Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick, who is directly in charge of the College of Veterinarians Of B.C. (CVBC), and Attorney General Susan Anton told the College’s top brass recently to accept the landmark Human Rights Triubunal decision which found that the College systemically discriminated against Dr. Hakam Bhullar and other Indo-Canadian veterinarians who have suffered over nearly two decades of extreme abuse from the governing body of the college which has been playing judge and jury in a literally a conspiracy to force immigrant doctors out of their chosen profession.

But the College’s top brass just won’t listen and act accordingly. They have, in fact, decided to appeal the decision, rubbing salt into the gashing wound of the South Asian veterinarians.

The CVBC administration is afflicted and infested with bias and racist views and want to maintain the discrimination against these immigrant veterinarians even though they have been found of doing that over the last decade.

Will Minister Letnick finally stand up for the South Asian Veterinarians and dissolve the current administration and bring sanity to this racist organization?

On Thursday, Letnick put out a press release stating that he was disappointed with their appeal and was forcing the College to accept the findings of the Tribunal even if they go ahead with their appeal

“I am disappointed with the College of Veterinarian’s decision to challenge the findings of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal,” Letnick said in a press release.

“I have written to the college to emphasize that there is no place for racism or prejudice anywhere in our communities. I expect all organizations in B.C. to respect, include and embrace our province’s rich cultural diversity.

“My letter to the college details specific actions and timeline to ensure they are operating in the public interest and in the best interest of its members.

“It is important that veterinarians in the province, especially those who were the victims of racism, have the confidence and certainty that they will be treated fairly and with dignity.

“The Human Rights Code applies to the college and all organizations in the province, and I expect the college to fully respect and support the Human Rights Code.”

But Dr. Bhullar said Friday that he has little faith in anything concrete happening from the same people in charge and would like the Minister to go one step further and dismantle the College and begin anew.

J. E. Michel Bastarache

Dr. Bhullar also isn’t happy with the College selecting J. E. Michel Bastarache, who is a Counsel in the Gall, Legge, Grant And Munro LLP, which is the firm led by Peter Gall, the College’s main lawyer who has been fighting their cases over the last decade.

“Someone independent should be appointed if they are going to do this useless exercise of looking at the College’s conduct, which is in plain sight in the Human Rights Tribunal’s 2000 word ruling,” Dr. Bhullar said.

Minister Letnick’s hand was forced after the NDP’s Harry Bains highlighted just some of the CVBC’s ongoing racism against South Asian Veterinarians in the House in Victoria.

Initially Minister Letnick seemed hesitant to act and said he would allow the College to study the decision but after ongoing racist activities by the College came to light, the Minister had no choice but to give the College an ultimatum.

“I was troubled to read in detail the allegations of systemic discrimination against Indo-Canadian veterinarians by the BCVMA. There is no place for racism or discrimination anywhere in our province, and I expect all organizations in B.C. to respect, include, and embrace our province’s rich cultural diversity,” Letnick told the media.

Letnick said since the ruling by the B.C Human Rights Tribunal, the Ministry of Agriculture has been in contact with the College of Veterinarians to explain our expectations that the College accept the findings of the Human Rights Tribunal’s ruling and respect the Human Rights Code.

“I have also personally reached out to the four provincial-appointed board members of the College to communicate my expectations. Further, I have asked the Ministry of Agriculture to look at options available to government to ensure the College operates in the public interest and in the best interest of its members,” Letnick said.

Letnick has become more determined in his attempt to discipline the college and bring sanity to the continuing witch hunt of Bhullar since brand new allegations came to light that the College was going to fight the Tribunal’s strong ruling against them and had started another investigation against Bhullar, without his knowledge, even though the College is mandated to tell Veterinarians before starting an investigation against them.

One of the college’s investigators Hudson Andrews was secretly recorded making disparaging remarks about Hakam Bhullar just one day after the college met with Bhullar to discuss findings of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

Bhullar’s longtime friend-sister, Heather Pendragon, had to do a sting operation where she pretended to be a disgruntled ex-employee named “Hedy Mastel” to determine what the college was doing.

Bhullar said he was particularly worried about Andrews’ statements to Pendragon that other veterinarians would “like to shoot this guy” and “string this guy up.”

“Those are threats. I have to take those threats seriously,” Bhullar said, adding he planned to file a complaint with Vancouver Police.

Bhullar’s lawyer Clea Parfitt told the Vancouver Sun, the college never informed her client he was under investigation, in contravention of previous practices, and that it had all the hallmarks of a campaign to discredit Bhullar despite the tribunal’s admonishments that the college should stop such “fishing expeditions.”

In a letter to the college on Oct. 29, Parfitt said Andrews’ statements show the college’s investigation “flagrantly violates” the tribunal’s order that it stop discriminating against Bhullar.

“If the college cannot act reasonably towards Dr. Bhullar and other Indo-Canadian veterinarians, ” she wrote, “and lawfully regulate the profession without discrimination or retaliation, the task of regulating the profession most be assumed by the provincial government.”

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In a letter to College of Veterinarians of BC President Nick Shaw, Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick told Shaw that he expects major changes to the way College operates and does so by the recent Human Rights Tribunal ruling:

Dear Mr. Shaw:

Re: Expectations for the College of Veterinarians of BC

I am writing in response to your November 5, 2015 and November 7, 2015 emails to Derek Sturko, Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

As the Minister responsible for the Veterinarians Act and the College, and on behalf of the government of British Columbia, I want to be clear there is no place for racism or prejudice anywhere in BC.

I recognize the College of Veterinarians of BC have taken a number of steps to address this matter, including the initiation of a review of processes led by a former supreme Court of Canada Justice, but more needs to be done.

My expectations as Minister are as follows:

* The College and all organizations in the province, are expected to adhere and comply with the Human Rights Code;

* The College, its members and its agents must not engage in discriminatory conduct prohibited by the human rights code (of particular concern is discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry or place of origin);

* The College, its members and its agents must not engage in bullying or any other inappropriate conduct compromising the integrity of the College or its members or applicants;

* The College must ensure anti-discrimination language and cultural sensitivity language explicit and embedded into College policy;

* The College must conduct a review of the processes used by other colleges to avoid any perception of bad faith should be done as part the review/audit of all CVBC processes being led by a former Supreme Court of Canada Justice; and,

* The College should use every tool available to it to regain the confidence of its members, the public, and government that going forward no decision will be made that violates those rights.

I also understand from the letter that the College is seeking a judicial review of the recent Human Rights Tribunal (HRT) decision, will accept the decision of the reviewing judge regardless of outcome, and will not initiate further levels of appeal.

Consistent with these commitments by the College and despite the College’s decision to pursue judicial review the HRT decision, I expect the College to be acting, and to be seen to be acting, fully in compliance with the Province’s expectations and the Human Rights Code.

I also understand the College has taken the following steps:

* Passed a non-discrimination policy at its November 5 meeting (please provide a copy of that policy to Mr. Sturko as soon as possible);

* Previously eliminated the English language requirement;

* Passed a motion that College immediately initiate a review/audit of all CVBC processes with emphasis on discipline and registration under the direction of a panel led by a former Supreme Court of Canada Justice; and

* Will immediately initiate a training program for staff, Council and committee members on cultural awareness, human rights and cultural sensitivity.

Please provide an update to Mr. Sturko, within 60 calendar days of receipt of this letter, which fully demonstrates the College’s progress towards, and compliance with, all of these expectations and commitments by the College, even if the College proceeds with its planned judicial review.

If it would be of value to the College, the Province is willing to identify and fund a mediator to support the College’s efforts to bring timely and complete closure to any outstanding issues related to the HRT case and help the College ensure it is in compliance with the Province’s expectations and the Human Rights Code.

I have asked the ministry to continue to closely monitor all activities of the College and, in particular, activities related to the recent HRT decision.

Sincerely,

Honourable Norm Letnick

Minister of Agriculture