Premier Doug Ford has kicked Iranian-Canadian MPP Goldie Ghamari out of the Progressive Conservative caucus after she met with controversial British activist Tommy Robinson.
Ford’s office announced Friday morning that it would immediately remove Ghamari from the Ontario PC caucus after the MPP for Carlton met with Robinson over FaceTime.
She said the conversation was to discuss the Islamic regime in Iran’s human rights violations and its attempts to operate in Canada, something she raises awareness of in her free time.
“This decision follows repeated instances of serious lapses in judgment and a failure to collaborate constructively with caucus leadership and as a team member,” the premier’s office said. “While this decision did not come easily, it has become clear that MPP Ghamari can no longer continue in her role within our caucus.”
Ghamari responded on X.
“When one door closes, another one opens.”
Before being removed from the caucus, she had issued a statement explaining that she didn’t know about Robinson’s “history” and that she was only speaking to him to raise awareness of the tyrannical Islamic regime in Iran.
Ghamari has been the subject of controversy before due to her advocacy against radical Islam, including comments she made referring to the Islamic hijab as a “symbol of the subjugation of women throughout the Islamic world.”
Ontario NDP and official opposition leader in the province Marit Stiles reposted a statement from the National Council of Canadian Muslims calling on the Premier to kick Ghamari out of his caucus.
“Ontarians expect their elected reps to stand with them against hate, not cozy up to those peddling it,” Stiles said.
Ghamari responded to this Thursday night, saying the Ontario NDP were anti-Iranian racists, noting that the NDP abstained from a vote in the Ontario legislature that unanimously passed to condemn Hamas and affirm Israel’s right to self-defence.
“They refused to condemn a listed terrorist organization that kills Iranians (including my own family members), and now they’re attacking me just because I was trying to raise awareness about the terrorist Islamic Regime in Iran in my spare time as a human rights advocate,” she said. “Please stop cozying up to the terrorist Islamic Regime in Iran. It’s not a good look for a Canadian.”
Before announcing the decision to kick Ghamari out of his Ontario PC caucus, Ford had said Ghamari’s meeting with the British Activist was “extremely disappointing” and “deeply regrettable.”
He said she shouldn’t have met with Robinson as his behaviour and beliefs were “at odds” with Ford’s government.
Robinson was arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency on Tuesday after speaking to an audience in Calgary.
The conditions of his release are that he must stay in Southern Alberta, preventing him from continuing his scheduled speaking tour in Canada. He has since said that despite the limits to his mobility in the country, no charges have been laid.