WINNIPEG – The draft and reworked final version of an apology written for Manitoba deputy premier Eric Robinson after he criticized a women’s shelter fundraiser as demonstrating the “ignorance of do-good white people.” The material was obtained by The Canadian Press under Manitoba’s freedom of information law:
The initial draft apology:
“I regret the comment I made in an email to staff and I apologize. As an advocate for the families of exploited women and girls, I felt that a burlesque fundraiser for a women’s shelter would further exploit an already vulnerable group of women. I should not have expressed those feelings in the way that I did. Osborne House is an important organization in our community and I have the deepest respect for the work they do.”
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The reworked version, which was publicly released:
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“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. Upon further reflection and discussion with the premier, the words I chose in the moment were regrettable, and for that I apologize.”
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