NDP kicks Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama from caucus, saying her actions have 'broken the trust' of colleagues
CBC
Mon, October 23, 2023
Ontario New Democrats have kicked Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama out of caucus, nearly two weeks after she posted a controversial statement in support of Palestinians.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said in a statement Monday that while the caucus allows different viewpoints, some of Jama's actions since making her comments "have contributed to unsafe work environments for staff."
"Ms. Jama and I had reached an agreement to keep her in the NDP caucus, which included working together in good faith with no surprises. Our caucus and staff have made significant efforts to support her during an undoubtedly difficult time," Stiles said.
"Since then, she has undertaken a number of unilateral actions that have undermined our collective work and broken the trust of her colleagues."
By midday Monday, Jama was listed with the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as an Independent.
The news comes after a tumultuous couple of weeks for the first-time MPP following her statement Oct. 10 in support of the people of Gaza in the Hamas-Israeli conflict. The statement prompted Premier Doug Ford to call for Jama's resignation and he accused her of antisemitism.
Jama's office served a cease and desist letter to Ford last Thursday, according to her lawyer, Stephen Ellis, and the Legal Centre for Palestine. The letter said if Ford did not remove his social media post and publicly apologize, Jama would pursue legal action for defamation.
"Ms. Jama maintains the post was reckless and malicious," the statement said. "Ms. Jama will not tolerate Premier Ford's attempts to tarnish her reputation in such a public manner."
Stiles responded to the legal notice last week, calling the premier's accusations of Jama "inflammatory" and saying the Ford government was "repeatedly and cynically fanning the flames of division during such a painful time."
Jama also said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday that her Hamilton Centre office staff were directed to work remotely because they had "received a number of concerning calls and emails that have made us question the safety of remaining open for walk-ins."
NDP will still vote against censuring Jama
The Progressive Conservatives have also tabled a motion to censure Jama in the House.
In Stiles's statement Monday that announced Jama's removal from caucus, she said the Ontario NDP will still vote against the "extreme motion."
"We do not believe the government should use its majority to strip a member of their right to speak and vote," Stiles said. "This is an extreme step that will disenfranchise the voters of Hamilton Centre."
Premier Doug Ford's government has put forward a motion to censure Jama in the House. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Jama's original statement posted to X called for an immediate ceasefire as well as an "end to all occupation of Palestinian land."
She focused largely on the Palestinian territories, saying "violence and retaliation rooted in settler colonialism have taken the lives of far too many innocent people." She did not directly mention the Hamas attacks.
The statement prompted both anger and support.
'I hope even more of you will speak out': Jama
Shortly before Stiles's announcement, Jama spoke in the House on Monday. She reaffirmed her support for Palestinians in Gaza and opposition to Israel's military action in retaliation to the Hamas attacks.
"I restate my call for an immediate ceasefire by Israeli forces, and for the immediate restoration of food, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza," Jama said. "I applaud the many elected officials in Canada who have joined this call in recent days, and I hope even more of you will speak out."
She described Israel's historical and continued actions as "domination and occupation of Palestinian land."
"Governments and institutions in Canada are trying to use their weight to silence us, to silence workers, students, educators, and peace-loving people who dare to support Palestine," Jama said. "To every person taking risks to speak up for Palestinian dignity and safety, I see you, I hear you, and I am with you."
Booting Jama from caucus draws criticism and praise
The decision to boot Jama from caucus led to condemnation and praise online.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs posted to X, saying it was "pleased" to see the move.
"Ms. Jama's remarks were inappropriate, egregious, and hurtful to Jewish and Israeli Canadians," the centre wrote.
Michael Levitt, president and chief executive officer of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, echoed similar sentiments, saying it was "important to see" Stiles take the "necessary steps."
"Jama's abhorrent and reckless words and actions have caused repeated hurt and harm to the Jewish community in her riding of Hamilton Centre and far beyond," he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, union leaders expressed disappointment in the decision.
Fred Hahn, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, called it a "sad, sad day," adding that Jama is a "necessary and strongly supported voice."
"This is a deeply troubling and massively dangerous move," he said on X.
"What my party the [Ontario NDP] must understand is that [first] this move doesn't change that support, and [second] they just handed the right a gift."
Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, said the NDP could consider his membership card "revoked."
"While I cannot predict [the labour council's] continued relationship with the party, I can say they voted to support Sarah!" he posted to X.
Deanna Allain, chair of Hamilton's women and gender equity committee, said it was "absolutely shameful" to see Jama kicked out of caucus.
"Politicians who continue to choose to stay silent, know you'll be campaigning without a lot of the support that got you those seats in the first place," she wrote on X.
'Governments and institutions in Canada are trying to use their weight to silence us,' Jama warned after her removal
Joy Joshi
·Writer, Yahoo News Canada
Updated Mon, October 23, 2023
Thirteen days ago, I called for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation by the Israeli government, which had begun a horrific siege on Palestinians in Gaza. Since I made that statement, Israel has only escalated its assault on millions of Gazans. 1/ pic.twitter.com/b9iuu0ogbd
— Sarah Jama (she/her) (@SarahJama_) October 23, 2023
A GTA-based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert is calling out the Ontario NDP leadership after Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama was removed from the caucus Monday morning while Ford's PCs also voted to censure Jama in the House.
Jama, who went through a volatile few weeks after posting a controversial statement on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, was kicked out of caucus by Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles with support from fellow party MPPs in the province.
My statement from this morning.#ONpoli pic.twitter.com/zJxg6lgrqH
— Marit Stiles (@MaritStiles) October 23, 2023
DEI expert Dr. Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui is calling Jama’s removal to be a “convenient” move for the Ontario NDP who backed her for bringing “new energy” and “new representation” to the party earlier in March this year during election.
“Let’s not forget Sarah Jama is a racialized woman who is also a part of the disability community. She has been excluded from a space that is already historically not so inclusive,” Dr. Ghaffar-Siddiqui told Yahoo News Canada.
“A lot of people for the first time felt represented because of her. Her removal is going to create a distrust among people in government practice.”
Dr. Ghaffar-Siddiqui shared with Yahoo News Canada that as a DEI specialist she is not surprised by Stiles’ decision.
“What we’ve found in our research is that groups, communities, companies and organizations bring on the people who ‘check boxes’ so to speak. People from racialized, disabled, LGBTQ communities who make for positive publicity and support among the general public.”
Sarah Jama was a ‘photo op’ for NDP. She likely checked all the boxes for the party during election in March 2023 and now since she doesn’t fit the party narrative on the Israel-Palestine situation she has been conveniently removed.Dr. Ghaffar-Siddiqui, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert
Race and ethnicity had nothing to do with Jama's ouster, expert says
On the contrary, Nelson Wiseman, an expert on Canadian government and politics, said the issue had more to do with if Sarah Jama was able to successfully carry out the job her party expected of her.
“There is discrimination only in one sense here. She won't be able to represent the people who elected her. That is all. However, that did not happen because of her ethnicity or the colour of her skin. It’s about what the job demands and on this occasion it required for all the members to come forward as one,” Wiseman shared with Yahoo News Canada.
They are keeping her from voting/speaking in the legislature. That’s where the discrimination is. The NDP voted against that and rightly so.Nelson Wiseman, Political Science Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
Dr. Ghaffar-Siddiqui maintained prejudice may have played a role against Sarah Jama before she was ousted from NDP’s Ontario caucus in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
“There is discrimination happening, there's a bias in play here. There's clearly some sort of political pressure being applied by Israeli lobby groups.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, who welcomed Marit Stiles’ definitive action, rejected any suggestions of lobbying or pressurizsing the government at any level.
“The insinuation that “Israel lobby groups” are exerting pressure is a dark one, and we urge all Canadians not to allow anti-Semitic rhetoric and tropes to be given space to fester. MPP Jama’s comments have been painful to the Jewish community and, as such, many Jewish organizations and community members have raised their voices to oppose her and to call on political leaders to make it clear that anti-Semitism must never be tolerated Canadian politics,” CIJA Vice President Jamie-Kirzner Roberts told Yahoo News Canada.
Jama’s removal from the Ontario NDP caucus comes after she threatened to sue Premier Doug Ford if he failed to respond to her demands stated in a cease-and-desist letter, which also accused him of defamation over the controversial comments made by Jama two weeks ago.
Many Canadians saw that as a power move and raised questions over Stiles’ control as the party leader in Ontario. S, following which came the latest development on Monday this week that too had social media users were divided on Jama’s ouster and Stiles’ decision:
I am never voting for this party again, provincially. They’ve happily engaged in misogynoir @MaritStiles @OntarioNDP https://t.co/P9Zgnv1jaK
— Erica Ifill (@wickdchiq) October 23, 2023
So many of us became members of the @OntarioNDP in support of @SarahJama_. We came for the conviction. We’ll be leaving just as fast.
Shame on you @MaritStiles. https://t.co/q1MyxnkEOW— Jacqueline (@jacrsea) October 23, 2023
What are you doing? You are way out of line. You also need to be removed. You no longer speak for ALL workers in unions, you are forcing your own views onto all members. Even the ones who don’t agree with you. This is an extremely bad move.
— 🇨🇦 Jack (@JackDan110) October 23, 2023
While the news of Stiles ejected Jama from the Ontario NDP caucus circulated online, the Hamilton MPP posted a thread on X, accusing the Canadian government of “silencing” leaders like her.
I ground my words in the realities of Israeli apartheid, and Israel’s ongoing domination and occupation of Palestinian lands. Governments and institutions in Canada are trying to use their weight to silence us 6/
— Sarah Jama (she/her) (@SarahJama_) October 23, 2023
The National Council of Canadian Muslims expressed their disappointment at Jama being expelled from the caucus and told Yahoo News Canada that they “are in touch with MPP Stiles' office and are very concerned about the decision. We will have more to say about this soon.”
