'Doug Ford should apologize’: Ontario premier’s controversial comments on immigrants draw anger, disappointment
Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Christine Elliott, maintained Tuesday that she doesn't believe it's "necessary" for Premier Doug Ford to apologize for comments he made about immigrants a day earlier.
"What the premier was actually saying is that we need more immigrants in Ontario," Elliott said at a press conference on Tuesday.
While making an announcement in Windsor-Essex, Ford spoke about the shortage of workers in the province and said "new Canadians" have to "work [their] tail off" in Ontario.
If you think you're coming to collect the dough and sit around, not gonna happen. Go somewhere else.Ontario Premier Doug Ford
"You want to work, come here. We have so much work, we can't keep up with it right now."
When pressed about his comments, Elliott stressed that Ford was saying that "we need more people to do the jobs that we have available here in Ontario."
"We encourage more immigration, we need more people in Ontario, we need more people to come from other jurisdictions, we welcome that, and we know that when people come here they do work hard," Elliott said. "They do work hard for themselves, for their families, for their communities and so we welcome that."
"That is what the premier intended to indicate yesterday."
Today, Doug Ford chose to traffic in demeaning stereotypes about new Ontarians looking to build a better life for their families.
He should apologize. But we've been here before. Sadly, this is who he is.
Our diverse, welcoming province deserves better. #ONpoli— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) October 18, 2021
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath responded on Ford's comments, saying that the premier "chose to traffic in demeaning stereotypes about new Ontarians looking to build a better life for their families."
"He should apologize," Horwath wrote on Twitter. "But we've been here before. Sadly, this is who he is."
This kind of divisive language is deeply disappointing. A Premier is supposed to unite Ontarians, not wedge us further apart. As a son of immigrants, I know first-hand how people like my parents helped to build Ontario. Doug Ford should apologize for his callous comments. #onpoli https://t.co/BazfwLniyk
— Steven Del Duca (@StevenDelDuca) October 18, 2021
Ontario Liberal Party Leader, Steven Del Duca, also responded to Fords comments by calling his language "deeply disappointing."
"A Premier is supposed to unite Ontarians, not wedge us further apart," Del Duca wrote on Twitter. "As a son of immigrants, I know first-hand how people like my parents helped to build Ontario."
"Doug Ford should apologize for his callous comments."
Others in Ontario also took to social media to respond to what Ford said in Windsor-Essex on Monday.
This is a huge slap in the face to new immigrants who face significant barriers to finding work in 🇨🇦. Immigrants are told “you don’t have Canadian experience”, “we don’t recognize foreign credentials” and other nonsense when they look for work. @fordnation is clueless! #onpoli pic.twitter.com/0YGmB80Ks6
— Ishat Reza 🇵🇸 (@IshatReza) October 18, 2021
Throughout my jobs in nursing & elsewhere, my colleagues who immigrated to Canada have been some of the most hard-working & caring people I've ever met. Premier Doug Ford's offensive remarks today are insulting to their significant contributions to our communities. #onpoli
— Tyler Watt 🇨🇦 (@tylerwatt90) October 19, 2021
Who thinks Doug Ford owes us immigrants a sincere apology?
We're Ontario's main engine. Without us there's no Ontario @fordnation— Fadi 🇨🇦 🇲🇺 She/Elle- belle comme une poubelle (@TiMoudou) October 19, 2021
I'm struggling with what I saw and heard today.
I'm an immigrant. My parents are immigrants. I can honestly say that the mentality of "everything we do will be viewed critically and nothing we do will ever be good enough" is one that is very very real. /1 https://t.co/mBjsx1d4rA— Ray Lai | 黎志滔 (@raylai_markham) October 18, 2021
With his words and brash, Doug Ford is perpetuating the myth that immigrants need to "work hard", and we need to do so to justify our existence.
Only us, immigrants. We're the ones who need to be called out because we don't belong here otherwise.
/2— Ray Lai | 黎志滔 (@raylai_markham) October 18, 2021
Doug Ford is stuck on this idea that poor people are poor because they're lazy.
He just did it again today.
So infuriating.— Mike Gibbs🏳️🌈 (@Mikeggibbs) October 18, 2021