British Columbia·Live

B.C. premier says Selina Robinson stepping down as cabinet minister over comments on Middle East

British Columbia's Post-Secondary Education Minister Selina Robinson is stepping down amid an outcry over her remarks that modern Israel was founded on "a crappy piece of land."

David Eby says focus will be on addressing 'the depth of the hurt that she has caused' by remarks

The Canadian Press · Posted: Feb 05, 2024 3:15 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

B.C. premier holds news conference as calls grow for minister's removal

31 minutes agoLiveDavid Eby will speak at a news conference Monday afternoon as calls grow for the resignation of Post-Secondary Education Minister Selina Robinson over comments she made about the Middle East.

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British Columbia's Post-Secondary Education Minister Selina Robinson is stepping down amid an outcry over her remarks that modern Israel was founded on "a crappy piece of land."

Premier David Eby says Robinson's "belittling" remarks were incompatible with her remaining in cabinet, although she will stay in the NDP caucus. He said Robinson's focus will now be on addressing "the depth of the hurt that she has caused" by her remarks.

Eby had faced mounting calls for the removal of Robinson since the remarks last week that infuriated pro-Palestinian groups and other critics who called them racist and Islamophobic. 

Robinson has issued a statement saying the decision was made after several discussions with the premier and other colleagues over the weekend.

"This decision does not excuse my harmful comments, nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing," she said.

"While I had previously decided not to run again in the next election I remain committed to my constituents for the remainder of my term."

Protests and calls for removal

Eby announced the resignation Monday afternoon in a hastily organized news conference after days of heavy criticism for Robinson.

More than a dozen British Columbia mosques and Islamic associations had sent a letter to Premier David Eby calling for Robinson to be removed from her role.

They said no NDP MLA or candidate for the next provincial election is welcome in their sacred spaces until the premier takes action.

On Monday, groups protested outside the provincial NDP caucus retreat in Surrey, B.C., with organizers delivering the signatures of more than 11,000 people asking for Robinson's resignation.

Eby was due to make a housing announcement at 11:30 a.m. PT Friday in Coquitlam with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and others, but that was cancelled around 11 a.m. in favour of a news conference alone from government offices in downtown Vancouver.

On Friday, Robinson apologized on X for the comments she made at a public panel, saying they were "disrespectful." She said she had been referring to the land having limited natural resources.

The modern state of Israel was created in 1948 out of land that was previously British-administered Palestine.

• Some B.C. mosques ban NDP MLAs, candidates after minister's Middle East comments

• B.C. minister under fire for comments about Middle East before creation of Israeli state

On Monday, the MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville issued a more detailed apology in a statement sent to media outlets.

It said she understood she had broken the trust of many people, and is committed to "taking part in anti-Islamophobia training to more deeply understand the concerns that have been expressed to me."

WATCH | Robinson refers to area where Israeli state was created as 'crappy piece of land':

B.C. minister says before Israel was established, the region was a 'crappy piece of land with nothing on it'

3 days agoDuration 2:27Minister of Post-Secondary Education Selina Robinson made the remarks Jan. 30 at a public panel organized and posted by B’nai Brith Canada. She has since apologized.

"I am committed to making amends, learning from the pain I have caused and doing whatever I can to rebuild relationships," Robinson said in the statement.

Adam Olson, B.C. Green Party MLA for Saanich North and the Islands since 2017, said on Monday morning that there should be consequences for Robinson.

"The premier has a responsibility to ensure that his cabinet is accountable," he said. 

"There was a time in this province, there was a time in this country, where members, when they brought the government name into disrepute, would have stepped down for much less than this."

WATCH | Eby says Robinson must improve her behaviour:

B.C. premier says minister 'has some work to do' after Middle East comments

3 days agoDuration 2:17David Eby said he has accepted the apology of, and expressed his disappointment with, Selina Robinson over remarks she made about the Middle East. At a Jan. 30 public panel, she referred to the region prior to the establishment of the state of Israel as a 'crappy piece of land with nothing on it'.

Hamish Telford, associate professor of political science at the University of the Fraser Valley, said Eby is facing political harm from the Robinson scandal, with his government's throne speech and annual budget coming up later this month.

"Obviously, the government wants to get back on message as quickly as possible," he said.

Telford said if the harm caused by Robinson's comments is not adequately addressed, and quickly, more pressure will mount.

"I don't think the government can withstand or take much time to deal with this," he said.

With files from Rhianna Schmunk, CBC News and The Early Edition

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