CBC Says FU To BIPOC-BLM Voices By Openly Giving Racists A Voice

Indo-Canadian Veterinarians Decry CBC Giving A Voice To Accused Racist And Former Veterinary College Head Dr. Rob Ashburner Who Said “Gone Are The Days When We Could Go There With A Torch And Burn It Down, A Quicker Way"!

In a story written by Maryse Zeidler, dated Ocotber 17, 2020, on the shortage of veterinarians throughout BC, a rehash of an old story that ran in the Vancouver Sun and subsequently in DESIBUZZCanada months ago, CBC news wrote extensively about “Dr. Rob Ashburner's 900-square-foot clinic near the intersection of Cambie Street and King Edward Avenue, veterinary technicians and assistants dodge a 12-pound tabby named Hugo as they take calls, set out treats and ensure all their supplies are stocked in time for the first appointment of the day.” But CBC made no mention that Ashburner was quoted as saying, "Gone are the days when we could go there with a torch and burn it down, a quicker way," in response to dealing with the racism and systemic abuse at the Veterinary college by indo-Canadian veterinarians who fought over a decade to win a landmark human rights case against the BC Veterinary College. “We can’t believe that CBC which claims to be a strong voice for BIPOC-BLM voices and as a national Canadian taxpayer funded broadcaster – it should stand against racism and address such issues of abuse but it’s actually giving racists a voice and profiling their businesses,” Dr. Hakam Bhullar told DESIBUZZCanada. “We are simply flabbergasted at this kind of attitude and flagrant misconduct by the CBC.” CBC and it’s reporters should google Ashburner and the Indo-Canadian veterinarians fight against the College before they publish anymore stories otherwise they are basically saying a big FU to BIPOC-BLM voices.

By PD Raj – Senior Writer DESIBUZZCanada

VANCOUVER – The much loathed Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is saying a big FU to the BIPOC-BLM voices by openly giving people accused of the worst kind of racism a voice in their stories including photos of the subject’s business.

"We're busier than ever," Ashburner told CBC, standing in the examining room at the West King Edward Animal Clinic. "From a business point of view, that's good. But we feel badly because our patients go without proper care, or have to delay care."

While there may be nothing wrong with quoting and profiling a veteran Vancouver veterinarian Ashburner who has been crying about the shortage of veterinarians for months now since the original story appeared in the Vancouver Sun and it’s all right for CBC to do a force-fed story during election time to put pressure on the political parties to deal with the issue, which many other veterinarians believe is a non-issue but what kind of journalism is CBC doing when they don’t mention about their subject’s racism problem.

CBC made no mention that Ashburner was quoted as saying, "Gone are the days when we could go there with a torch and burn it down, a quicker way," in response to dealing with the racism and systemic abuse at the Veterinary college by indo-Canadian veterinarians who fought over a decade to win a landmark human rights case against the BC Veterinary College.

On Saturday, November 05, 2005, Vancouver Sun wrote: “Fifteen Indo-Canadian veterinarians are suing the head of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association for slander, saying he promoted "hatred and contempt" against them on the basis of colour, race, religion or ethnic origin.”

In a statement of claim filed Friday in B.C. Supreme Court, the 15 vets allege Dr. Robert Ashburner, who is also the chair of the conduct review committee for the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association, made slanderous comments about low-cost clinics run predominantly by Indo-Canadian veterinarians,” the Sun reported.

"They are innocent until proven guilty. And what can you do? You have to let the system do it," Ashburner is quoted as saying in the statement of claim.

"Gone are the days when we could go there with a torch and burn it down, a quicker way."

Reached on his cellphone, Ashburner told the Vancouver Sun he did not recall making those comments and added they are "not something I would have said."

CBC had no concerns about the racists comments Ashburner made to a woman sent undercover to uncover the racism and abuse that was rampant in the college before the BC Human Rights Tribunal ruled against in a ruling that should send chills about institutional racism in Canada. CBC reporter did not at all address Ashburner’s scandalous past or his racist comments or his role at the BC Veterinary College.

This has angered veterinarians like Dr. Hakam Bhullar, who led the fight against racism and abuse which is detailed in the documentary GONE ARE THE DAYS by filmmaker and journalist R. Paul Dhillon, who also wrote extensively on the long and financially draining battle the Indo-Canadian veterinarians fought against the College. Gone Are The Days has won awards at the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) and at IMPACT DOCS Awards.

“We can’t believe that CBC which claims to be a strong voice for BIPOC-BLM voices and as a national Canadian taxpayer funded broadcaster – it should stand against racism and address such issues of abuse but it’s actually giving racists a voice and profiling their businesses,” Bhullar told DESIBUZZCanada. “We are simply flabbergasted at this kind of attitude and flagrant misconduct by the CBC.”

Asked if he or his colleagues have contacted the CBC to complain – Bhullar said they have and they even earlier contacted the Ombudsman about lack of coverage on their battle with the College and were met with stonewalling and inaction.

CBC reporter Maryse Zeidler, who wrote the story, did reply to Bhullar’s email, saying: “Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I was aware that Indo-Canadian veterinarians had fought the society and won, but I wasn't aware of Dr. Ashburner's comments specifically.

“I'm off for the next couple of days, but would it be possible for us to chat next Wednesday on the topic of bringing in more vets from abroad, and how racism fits into that discussion?

I'll have to check with my producer but I would be interested in a follow story,” Zeidler wrote in an email dated October 18, 2020.

Bhullar said he has not heard from Zeidler or CBC on any follow-up story.

CBC and it’s reporters should google Ashburner and the Indo-Canadian veterinarians fight against the College before they publish anymore stories otherwise they are basically saying a big FU to BIPOC-BLM voices.

Here is an excerpt of racist Ashburner taped comments from BC Human Rights Tribunal where the Indo-Canadian Veterinarians proved systemic racism:

Dr. Rob Ashburner Recordings [878]” As I noted elsewhere, I did not find that Dr. Bhullar’s conduct in facilitating the Ashburner Recording, and then disseminating it, is a sufficient basis for the BCVMA to refuse take immediate action with respect to it. I accept that, at times, Ms. Pendragon encouraged Dr. Ashburner to make negative comments about Dr. Bhullar and others. 321 However, I find that he went further than just simply responding to her questions and/or her comments. Dr. Ashburner could have, but did not, terminate the discussion. It was unclear to me why he failed to do so. [879] I have concluded that Dr. Ashburner was engaged in negative and race-based stereotyping when he spoke with Ms. Pendragon. He specifically referred to those veterinarians from the Punjab and those with Indian sounding names, and their veterinary practices, including referring to alleged negative practices that may be occurring at AtlasVancouver. Dr. Ashburner was the Chair of the CRC and, as such, was intimately involved and influential in the regulatory processes of the BCVMA. [880] Dr. Ashburner’s comments were inappropriate and many were negative generalizations about unnamed Indo-Canadian veterinarians. The comments served to promote stereotypes based on race or could reasonably be perceived to be doing so, such as his comment about that only about half of the veterinarians from the Punjab are decent people, the negative commentary about the education system in the Punjab, and that Dr. Bhullar, even if not licensed, would hire other incompetents, which the evidence had shown were Indo-Canadian veterinarians. Although there was some evidence that Dr. Ashburner was simply commenting on the education received by certain veterinarians at unaccredited academic institutions, which would include those veterinarians education at the PAU, I did not accept that this was the case. His comments were broader than this and general in nature. For example, his comment that only about half of the Indo-Canadian veterinarians were decent people was unrelated to their education. [881] Dr. Ashburner could not identify those Indo-Canadians who fell under Dr. Bhullar’s influence. That Dr. Ashburner was prepared to generalize based on race calls into question his ability to assess disciplinary complaints involving those same veterinarians in a manner free from discrimination. Although I accept that Dr. Ashburner did not intend his comments and/or actions to be racist, I am persuaded that his views would have played a role in his assessment of the Complainants’ disciplinary matters, or in the alternative, would reasonably be perceived as playing a role. [882] I accept that Dr. Ashburner did not intend his comments to be racist, but viewed objectively and in context, a reasonable interpretation of the comments is that they are 322 founded on negative stereotypes based on race and that these comments might affect his ability to deal fairly, and without discrimination, with those disciplinary complaints involving the Complainants. [883] Dr. Ashburner testified that the one comment, which was repeated extensively by the Complainants in various forums, about being able to “burn down” a facility, which would be “quicker”, was not intended to be discriminatory but a way to explain to Ms. Pendragon that legal processes had to be followed and his comment was taken out of context. However, when the Ashburner Recording and the transcript of it are reviewed in their entirety, and given Dr. Ashburner’s other inappropriate comments about Indo-Canadian veterinarians, throughout his meeting with Ms. Pendragon, I find that the Complainants would have reasonably perceived this comment to be race-based and that Dr. Ashburner was engaged in racial stereotyping.”