Manitoba premier sorry for creating 'misunderstanding' about Canadian history
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister apologized Tuesday for comments he made almost a month earlier that angered Indigenous leaders and cost him a cabinet minister.
"I wish my words in speaking to Manitobans at this difficult time had been said differently so they could have been understood better," Pallister said in a press release.
"My words did not adequately convey all that I meant, which I sincerely regret."
Pallister said he takes responsibility for having caused the misunderstanding July 7, when he denounced people who had toppled two statues on the legislature grounds in a protest over the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools.
Pallister said people who came to Canada -- before and after it was a country -- did not come to destroy but to build communities, businesses and churches.
Indigenous leaders have said the premier downplayed the harmful effects of colonialism, and Pallister initially stood by his comments. He said he meant to convey that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people often worked together to build Canada.
His Indigenous relations minister, Eileen Clarke, resigned from cabinet. Her replacement, Alan Lagimodiere, stirred up more controversy by defending some of the intentions behind residential schools. He later apologized.
Two Indigenous men, saying the government was rewriting history, resigned from their government appointments to economic development boards.
Some members of the Progressive Conservative caucus have also distanced themselves from Pallister's remarks, and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman last week called on the premier to say he is sorry.
On Tuesday, Pallister spoke to the media for the first time in almost three weeks and took back his remarks.
"I feel awful about the reaction and the misunderstanding I created with my comments," he said during a news conference about COVID-19 restrictions.
Pallister also said his words were misrepresented as support for colonialism or residential schools.
"I should have been clearer in my comments but my heart was in the right place."
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said Pallister did not offer a full retraction.
"If you have to qualify an apology, then it's not an apology," said Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.
"And really, there's no excuse. The premier has been involved in public office for decades. There's an expectation that you speak well and you're mindful of the words you use."
Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the premier's apology was insincere.
"He's not really clearly saying that he did anything wrong. He's just sorry for the fact it was misunderstood."
Pallister's Tories have dropped sharply in recent opinion polls and he is now facing signs of dissent from some of his caucus members. Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard posted on social media last month that she could not support words that hurt people affected by trauma.
Pallister has hinted he may retire from politics before the next election in 2023. When asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he plans to leave office in the coming months, he did not directly answer.
"You'll be among the first to know if that's the decision."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.