AMAPCEO President, Indigenous Circle Chair call out Premier’s comments, urge him to “work with respect” toward reconciliation

Earlier this week, AMAPCEO President Dave Bulmer and Indigenous Circle Chair Maggie Kavanaugh co-authored a letter to Premier Doug Ford, expressing the union’s concerns regarding the Premier’s recent comments about First Nations people in Ontario. 

In the letter, Bulmer and Kavanaugh noted that the Premier’s comments, in addition to being “self-evidently offensive” to Indigenous people across the province, were specifically harmful to Indigenous people in the Ontario Public Service (OPS), who work diligently to deliver the public services that Ontarians rely on.

The letter reminded the Premier that these workers ensure that the Government of Ontario’s priorities and policies are implemented—even when those policies may run counter to their own beliefs or those held by others in their communities. It is deeply upsetting to then have the leader of the organization they work for reinforce harmful stereotypes.

Bulmer and Kavanaugh called on the Premier to not only choose his words more carefully in the future, but to also consider the responsibility the government has to consult with rights-bearing communities in this province and to “work with respect” toward reconciliation within the government and public service. 

You can read the full letter here. 

AMAPCEO encourages any members who may have experienced harm as a result of racist or discriminatory comments to access resources available to you, including the Employee and Family Assistance Program, the OPS Inclusive Counselling Services, and the Talk 4 Healing helpline. Further resources are also available to you on the AMAPCEO website.