DEVINDER Shory, MP for Calgary Northeast on Tuesday condemned the racist comments made over the weekend by MP John Williamson, saying: “As an immigrant from Punjab, India and a Member of Parliament for a very diverse riding in Canada, I was outraged to hear the racist comments over the weekend. I am extremely disappointed that these comments came from one of my parliamentary colleagues. As parliamentarians, we have a duty to represent all of our constituents regardless of where they come from and their ethno-cultural background.
“I am pleased that MP Williamson has publicly apologized for his comments and has recognized the inappropriateness of his comments.
“The Conservative Party, of which I have been an active member since its formation, is a party that embraces Canada’s pluralism and diversity. It actively promotes the inclusion of visible minorities in our political process. Conservatives were the first to have an MP of Chinese heritage, the first to have a black federal cabinet minister, the first to have a Hindu MP, and the first to appoint Senators of Pakistani, Filipino and Vietnamese heritage. Finally, it was a Conservative and the first female federal cabinet minister, Ellen Fairclough, who put an end to Canada’s racist immigration policy.”
However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has yet to issue any statement on Williamson’s comments.