Maude Carrier is shown in an undated photo from her Facebook page. Maude Carrier was among the six Quebecers who were killed in the terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. The husband of Carrier says he hung up on Justin Trudeau when the prime minister called him earlier this week.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Facebook
January 21, 2016 - 8:00 PM
MONTREAL - The husband of one of the Quebecers killed in the Burkina Faso terrorist attack says hanging up on Justin Trudeau ''felt good'' after the prime minister called him earlier this week.
Yves Richard told Montreal radio station 98.5 FM on Thursday he was frustrated in the hours after last week's tragedy with what he called Global Affairs Canada's lack of tact and empathy.
He did say the situation has since improved and that the families of victims are being treated better.
But Richard was not impressed with Trudeau when the prime minister rang him up Monday, three days after the attack which killed his wife, Maude Carrier, and five other Quebecers.
''My prime minister called me and began speaking in such a canned manner, wishing me good luck, offering me his condolences and talking about them as a source of Canadian pride,'' he said.
''That's when I told him to stop his political blabbing.
''If he's going to call me, then at least he should know who the Carriers are. It wasn't out of Canadian pride that they were doing what they were doing but rather because they were basically good people.''
The six were on a humanitarian mission in Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou when al-Qaida carried out the attack.
Four of the dead were from the same family: Yves Carrier, his wife Gladys Chamberland, their adult son Charlelie Carrier as well as Maude, Yves Carrier's daughter.
Richard said his conversation with Trudeau ended with him telling the prime minister to go hug his wife and children.
''Then I hung up on him and it felt good.''
Asked whether Trudeau had any reaction, a spokesman said Thursday it was important for the prime minister to personally offer his condolences to the families of those who died in Burkina Faso.
Richard said he much preferred the approach of Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, who called him last Sunday and promised to simplify the political red tape for the families affected.
Earlier this week, Maude Carrier's mother urged Trudeau to keep Canadian fighter planes involved in the war on terrorism the Middle East.
Camille Carrier, whose ex-husband was Yves Carrier, said she was ashamed by Trudeau's pledge to pull the six CF-18 jet fighters.
A spokesman for Trudeau said Thursday it was important for the prime minister to personally offer his condolences to the families of those who died in Burkina Faso.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016