Ontario Premier Doug Ford has removed a backbench MPP from his Progressive Conservative Party caucus after she met with a prominent far-right figure from the United Kingdom, a move he called one of a series of “repeated incidents.”
On Friday morning, Ford’s office announced Goldie Ghamari had been removed from caucus “effective immediately,” sending the Carlton MPP to sit as an independent.
“This decision follows repeated instances of serious lapses in judgment and a failure to collaborate constructively with caucus leadership and as a team member,” the statement said.
“While this decision did not come easily, it has become clear that MPP Ghamari can no longer continue in her role within our caucus.”
In a brief statement posted to social media after her removal, Ghmarai said: “When one door closes, another one opens.”
Ghamari drew the ire of the premier this week after choosing to meet with Tommy Robinson, a prominent far-right figure from the United Kingdom. Robinson founded the English Defence League, a group that has regularly been described by researchers and advocates as Islamophobic and far-right.
The meeting — which she shared a screenshot of on her social media — was met with fierce backlash from the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) who called for Ford to remove her from caucus on Wednesday over the meeting.
The Ontario NDP also said in a social media post that Robinson was a “far-right, anti-Islam activist” and questioned why Ghamari had chosen to speak to him.
Asked Wednesday about the meeting, Ghamari said she was “not aware” of Robinson’s history when she agreed to meet with him online. She said she opted to speak to the far-right figure as an Iranian-Canadian immigrant concerned about the country’s regime.
“He wanted to discuss the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which was recently listed as a terrorist entity in Canada,” she told Global News on Wednesday.
“We discussed the IRGC, its impact in Canada, and the 6-year effort of the Iranian-Canadian diaspora to put the IRGC on the Canadian terror list.”
Ghamari said she condemned “all forms of Islamophobia and Antisemitism.”
On Monday, Robinson was arrested in Calgary, where he was taking part in a controversial speaking engagement. A video he posted to his social media said he was arrested over an “outstanding immigration warrant.”
In a separate social media post on Tuesday, Ghamari questioned why Robinson had been arrested, while someone she alleged was a supporter of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was not.
“Can someone explain this double standard? I’m confused,” she wrote.
Robinson has been criminally convicted several times in the United Kingdom, including for contempt of court and for assault.
Initially, on Wednesday evening, Ford simply said he was “disappointed” with Ghamari’s decision to meet Robinson, someone “whose behaviour and beliefs are at odds with our government.”
On Friday, the disappointment went further and she was removed from the governing party caucus.
Ivana Yelich, a deputy chief of staff for Ford, said that the premier made his decision after seeing the explanation Ghamari offered for the meeting.
“Her subsequent statement claiming she wasn’t aware of Mr. Robinson’s history prior to their meeting speaks volumes about her judgement and honesty,” Yelich wrote.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said Friday it was “glad” Ghamari had been removed from caucus.
— with files from The Canadian Press