Eric Robinson, Deputy Premier of Manitoba, facing human rights complaint

Eric Robinson, Deputy Premier of Manitoba, who is also the province’s Aboriginal Affairs minister, is facing a human rights complaint for an email remark made last November about “do-good white people.” The complaint comes from a Winnipeg women’s shelter, which was planning a burlesque show at a store called The Foxy Shoppe to raise money for Osborne House. Manitoba’s special adviser on Aboriginal women’s issues, Nahanni Fontaine, had emailed Robinson to say the fundraising was in poor taste, as the clientele of Osborne House are women who have been exploited and victimized. Robinson agreed. He wrote it was an example of “the ignorance of do-good white people without giving it a second thought.” Robinson has apologized for the comment. “The work Osborne House does is important for our community, especially Aboriginal women who are suffering from the generational effects of discrimination and exploitation,” he said. “I did not mean to offend anyone with the words I used. I still feel the event was in poor taste and could have been better thought out, given the clientele of Osborne House are women who have been exploited and victimized.” The Osborne House CEO said Robinson’s comment was hateful, discriminatory and racist.