Dear Constituents,
On Thursday, I voted against providing unanimous consent to overturn Speaker Arnott’s ruling that the keffiyeh makes a political statement at this time. After much contemplation, I believe it is important to publicly clarify why I voted against that motion, and why I intend to continue to do so if the motion is brought forward again.
The rules of the legislature are clear that props and clothing that makes a political statement cannot be worn in the chamber. These rules exist to keep the peace in our democratic institutions and to ensure that we use only our words to debate and persuade each other. I believe these rules are important to the proper functioning of the legislature and must be upheld.
To agree to a motion similar to the one put forward on Thursday by MPP Stiles, which declares the keffiyeh to be a cultural symbol and not a political one, would be to deny the fact and reality that it has taken on an inherent political meaning, particularly at this time. I cannot, in good conscience, agree to a statement that I know is objectively false. One needs to look no further than the photo circulating on Twitter of the federal NDP caucus wearing keffiyehs and doing raised fist salutes while voting in the House of Commons to see how the keffiyeh is being used to make a political statement.
Our rules are designed to prevent that kind of conduct in the Ontario legislature, and to disregard them would establish a dangerous precedent, and undermine the democratic institutions which have served us well and which we need to protect.
I recognize that I may personally face political repercussions because of my vote and continued stance on this motion. I accept that. Finally, I want to encourage my fellow members to reconsider their support for this divisive motion, so we can instead focus our collective efforts on truly uniting people by putting an end to the very real acts of hatred and intolerance that have become all too common in Ontario.
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