By Bre McAdam

Joseph defends holocaust comparison made at Meadow Lake forum

Apr 20, 2011 | 5:17 PM

NDP candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River Lawrence Joseph is defending his comparison of the residential school experience to the holocaust made at a candidate's forum in Meadow Lake Tuesday.

Joseph says he was responding to a specific comment made during a debate on compensation for residential school victims.

“Somebody made a comment to the effect that basically people should get on with their lives and forget. No they shouldn't, they should never do that.”

Joseph stands by his comparison, telling News Talk Radio that in his opinion, there are similarities between the two historical tragedies.

“If you look at the dictionary at holocaust it describes an effort to clean-up a race. Without any doubt in my mind that was what the government wanted to do,” said Joseph, who claims he wasn't trying to offend anybody but understands there will be some backlash.

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“People who take offense by the use of the word holocaust have every right to do so.”

Joseph, a residential school survivor himself, admits the statement was passion-driven and should not be associated with the national NDP campaign.

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