The MPP removed from Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative caucus after meeting with a far-right leader from the United Kingdom says she is “disappointed” by the move and has promised to continue sitting as an independent.
Carleton MPP Goldie Ghmarie was removed from the PC caucus at the end of June after she met with Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League. The group has been regularly criticized for its far-right and anti-Islam views.
Premier Ford’s office said Ghamari was removed from caucus after “repeated instances of serious lapses in judgment and a failure to collaborate constructively with caucus leadership and as a team member.”
The Carleton MPP said at the time she had not known about Robinson’s far-right history, meeting with him to discuss the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, recently listed as a terror group in Canada.
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In her first full public statement since becoming an independent MPP, Ghamari said she was “disappointed” in the premier’s “unilateral” decision to remove her from caucus.
“As the first Iranian-Canadian woman elected to office in Canada, I’m proud to use my personal time to raise awareness and speak to people in Canada and around the world about the terrorist Islamic Regime in Iran,” she wrote.
“To everyone who has supported my efforts to raise awareness about IRGC terrorists in Canada, thank you,” her statement added. “Please rest assured that I will continue to speak out on this issue.”
Ghamari said her office would continue to operate and she would remain the local riding MPP for Carleton, an area she has represented since 2018. She also said she would politically remain a conservative.
“I don’t yet know what the future holds for me, but I am feeling very hopeful and optimistic,” she said. “I will be taking some time to reflect on my next steps.”