Manitoba’s deputy premier apologized late Friday for comments made in an email that referred to the “ignorance of do good white people” and sparked a human rights complaint.
“Upon further reflection and discussion with the Premier, the words I chose in the moment were regrettable, and for that I apologize,” Deputy Premier and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson is quoted in a statement released by the provincial government. Robinson is the MLA for the northern riding of Keewatinook.
In the November 22, 2012 email, Robinson and the province’s special adviser on Aboriginal women’s issues Nahanni Fontaine exchange thoughts on plans for a “burlesque” fundraiser to raise money for Osborne House, a provincially-funded shelter for battered women. Fontaine suggests such an event would be inappropriate and Robinson responds, “On the surface it is not a very good idea and moreover further exploits an already vulnerable group in society. It also further demonstrates the ignorance of do good white people without giving it a second thought.”
The controversial email was obtained through an access to information request. The “white people” line had been blacked out before the document was released by government officials, but was still legible.
Earlier Friday, the head of the women’s shelter, Barbara Judt, said she has filed a human rights complaint against the province’s deputy premier, over “racial bias.”
Critics had demanded Robinson apologize.
“There are all kinds of messages that can be read into that statement and he should apologize for it,” PC MLA Ron Schuler (St. Paul) said Friday at the Legislature. “He should apologize for it. Do the right thing.”
“It’s a racial slur,” Winnipeg human rights lawyer David Matas told Global News. “It’s a stereotype, you can call someone ignorant that’s perfectly alright but when you say ignorant and attach to a skin colour it’s a suggestion that that group of people are ignorant.”
In Robinson’s response Friday, he still insists the objection he raised in the email was valid, even if his choice of words was not.
“The work Osborne House does is important for our community, especially Aboriginal women who are suffering from the generational effects of discrimination and exploitation. I did not mean to offend anyone with the words I used. I still feel the event was in poor taste and could have been better thought out, given the clientele of Osborne House are women who have been exploited and victimized,” Robinson is quoted in the statement. He did not make himself available for interviews and a government spokesman said Premier Greg Selinger would not be commenting.
Osborne House says the email incident is simply the latest in a series of less-than-friendly encounters between the shelter and provincial officials.
“Osborne House has felt the wrath of intimidation from senior level bureaucrats this past fiscal year. We asked legitimate business related questions including why the Family Violence Prevention Program is demanding our volunteer Board commit to taking on substantial personal debt instead of properly funding our operations and in return from government, we are the recipients of retaliation and bullying,”CEO Barbara Judt wrote in a news release Friday.
“I have exercised my right to file FIPPA applications to get to the bottom of this behaviour. Information contained within the documents clearly shows an orchestrated effort is underway to undermine the current CEO and Board based on a racial bias,” Judt says.
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