BC Conservative leader and Nechako Lakes MLA, John Rustad says the decision to remove an MLA for her comments around former residential school survivors was a party decision and the right move.
According to a statement, Rustad says Dallas Brodie was removed from her position in a vote on Mar. 6 after she was found to have made mocking and belittling comments.
“As a result of her decision to publicly mock and belittle testimony from former residential school students, including mimicking individuals recounting stories or abuses – including child sex abuse, MLA Brodie is not welcome to return to our Conservative Party of BC Caucus,” he says.
According to the statement, Brodie uses a mocking, child-like voice to mock individuals, and says things in a ‘whining voice.’
Rustad says while he believes in free speech, this is crossing the line, and the party won’t stand for it.
“Using your stature and platform as an MLA to mock testimony from victims alleging abuse, including child sex abuse, is where I draw the line,” he says.
Rustad says the dismissal was about her comments, and her abuse of authority.
“I want to be clear, this has nothing to do with whether or not there are undiscovered remains at Kamloops Indian Residential School, where it is objectively true that no new bodies have been found,” he says.
NDP Attorney General Niki Sharma says in her own statement, although it took Rustad two weeks to act after the initial comment, he did the right thing by removing her from the party.
“It’s a relief to see him (Rustad) finally act,” she says. “Standing up to Brodie and the BC Conservative MLAs who supported her was the right thing to do.
“We disagree with him (Rustad) on many things, but it’s encouraging that we do agree that Brodie’s hurtful comments should have no place in our respective political parties.”
– Files from Justin Baumgardner, My Cowichan Valley Now staff
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