Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said he will meet with native leaders to discuss the allegations of police abuse in Val d'Or, but not within 24 hours.

He has agreed to meet them on Nov. 4.

First Nations chiefs and leaders gathered in Val d'Or this week to demand an independent inquiry into the allegations that nine Sureté du Quebec officers physically and sexually abused First Nations women who live in and around the city.

One of those officers has died, while the remaining eight were suspended on Friday.

Grand Chief Ghislain Picard demanded Couillard rush to Val d'Or on Wednesday to discuss the matter, but the premier deferred, saying he would meet with leaders at a later date.

On Wednesday, Picard said in an interview he would invite Couillard to attend a meeting of chiefs in Montreal on Nov. 4.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, Couillard said he would indeed meet on Nov. 4.
 

Quebec's Native Affairs minister Geoff Kelley said on Wednesday action would be taken.

"With my colleague we announced yesterday certain psychosocial measures. We're going to have people working in the street, working with people, particularly homeless people, but more generally we have to find solutions together," said Kelley.

Kelley said the provincial government would pressure the federal government to offer assistance, and added that members of the First Nations will have to rise to the occasion as well.

"It's not the government alone that can solve these problems. We need a more engaged federal partner and we need the leadership of the First Nations themselves to help us go forward."

Earlier this year several complaints were made about the behaviour of SQ officers, but the Public Security Minister Lise Theriault said she was shocked last week at seeing a televised report on the problems, saying what was mentioned by interviewees was far more serious that the complaints she was aware of.

The leaders of the First Nations are also calling for public inquiry into these allegations, one that would be overseen by an independent and impartial observer named by both the provincial government and First Nations leaders.

Meanwhile, the allegations of SQ officers sexually assaulting native women in Val d'Or continue to be investigated by the Montreal police. The official opposition in Quebec City said police investigating police will erode the confidence of native communities.

“What we're looking for, and I said it a few times today – Friday, Thursday even on Sunday – is that we need to have an independent investigation,” said Parti Quebecois leader Pierre Karl Peladeau.

An independent bureau of investigation was approved more than two years ago, but it won't begin to operate until April 2016.

“How come it takes so two years to hire 18 people?” asked CAQ leader Francois Legault. “For me, I don't accept the answer of Mr. Couillard.”

The Liberal government said it's looking for someone to act as a neutral observer during the investigation in Val d'Or.

Native leaders have said they would like to approve any observer named by the government.