An apology from the Premier for suggesting Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa jumped the line to get his COVID vaccine in February.
Doug Ford made the allegation during questioning at Queen’s Park Thursday.
Yesterday, he attributed it to politicking.
“We are two political parties. A lot of stuff goes on in the legislature. Sometimes it gets personal. I apologize that I got a little personal there, but my job is to defend our party defend my Minister when he’s not there,” says Ford.
Ford adds he and Mamakwa get along and are both focused on the same goal.
“I get along Sol. Things are said. We move forward. I apologized, and let’s move forward. The thing is with Sol and I, we both want the same thing. We want to make sure the First Nations community, Indigenous community is represented, and we want to make sure everyone gets vaccines, so we’re on the same page,” says Ford.
In a Facebook post, Mamakwa later expressed disappointment in the Premier’s rationale.
“In my experience, people only apologize for racist behaviour when they get called out. Premier Ford is actually expressing old colonial sentiments about Indigenous people,” says Mamakwa.
Mamakwa adds the Premier could have used his remarks to commit to making the vaccine more available to First Nations people.
Mamkwa received the vaccine in February after being asked by public health officials and native leaders who were worried about the reluctance at the time of residents living in the Far North were to signing up for the vaccine.
