Ms. Robinson left the cabinet last month after her comments to a B'nai B'rith roundtable discussion found her offering an apology for inappropriate language related to Palestine.
Having described it as a crappy piece of land, that in the context of how the State of Israel had developed the region post 1948.
As we noted at that time, following the controversy, Ms. Robinson was very much on her own island in caucus, with little in the way of support for her from her fellow New Democrats.
With the majority of the caucus membership, including NDP members from the northwest, Jennifer Rice and Nathan Cullen offering few, if any comments on the tempest of the time.
As time has moved forward the former cabinet minister has shared more of her experience from that period and that will have Premier David Eby and his party looking to control some of the damage of accusations that a current of anti-semitism can be found on the government side of the House.
The four page letter from Robinson of note today in the Legislature outlined the nature of how the lack of support from her fellow NDP members had shifted her focus to the larger issue of an abandonment of Jewish residents by the Provincial government.
Global BC's Richard Zussman was one of many to share the full four pages through social media last night.
The now Independent MLA, has stated previously will not be seeking reelection, her correspondence noting of the ongoing protests and threats of violence towards Jewish British Columbians which has gone often unanswered by the Provincial government.
The lack of action by the Government coming to a head last week when her efforts to seek a middle ground for both the Jewish and Arab communities in BC were to her, rebuffed by the Premier's office.
That passage of reflection on the last month or so, making for the conclusion to the four page letter of last night.
I pitched an idea to the Premier 10 days after I was asked to resign that perhaps government could show leadership on this hate and division we are seeing in two hurting communities by bringing these communities together.
I suggested that perhaps I could work with the Jewish community and engage with the Arab Muslim community to facilitate dialogue – find a different path for two communities in agony. As part of that work all of caucus could participate in anti-Islamophobia and antisemitism training – set an example of how as leaders we could better understand their respective pain and fear. And government could show leadership by bringing people together.
Last week Matt Smith told me that this work was ‘too political’ and that government was not interested at this time. Anti-semitism and anti-muslim sentiment are at an all time high and government doesn’t see itself as having a role in helping these communities.
This shattered what was left of my broken heart.
This is not the party I signed on with – it has become a party that is afraid to stand with people, people who were hurting.
It is now a party that puts politics and re-election before people. It is with all of this in mind that I am leaving caucus to sit as an independent. I can no longer defend the choices this government is making, and I need to mend my broken heart and I can’t do that when you simply offer me hugs and heart emojis but don’t care to educate yourselves or understand the fear and anguish of being Jewish in this moment.
Silence is not leadership – it’s cowardice.
And I cannot be silent.
Final passage of the text of former NDP cabinet minister Selina Robinson's correspondence from Wednesday
Two of the Opposition parties in Victoria have been quick to call for action by the Government to address many of the issues raised in the letter, with the Conservative Party going so far as to call for the resignation of Premier David Eby.
Those concerns introduced by Ms. Robinson, were raised this morning in the Thursday Question Period, with BC United Leader Kevin Falcon taking the lead.
Falcon calling for an inquiry towards the anti semitism accusations for both in the NDP caucus and the public service.
"Yesterday British Columbians heard the former Finance Minister confirm that there is systemic anti-Semitism in this NDP government and caucus. Her words were clear: "Anti-Semitism is the double standard that we have consistently shown."
The former Finance Minister provided multiple examples of anti-Semitism within the NDP cabinet, caucus and the NDP party. Now, we've seen in the past when there were accusations of systemic racism against Indigenous people in the health care system that this government immediately ordered a full, independent inquiry.
Given that these are very serious accusations of systemic anti-Semitism in the NDP cabinet and caucus by a former Finance Minister, will the Premier today commit to calling a full and independent inquiry into these very serious allegations?" -- BC United Leader Kevin Falcon in Question Period Thursday
For the Premier the day was one of sadness and remorse for Eby on steps not taken.
"It's a sad day for our caucus. Selina — pardon me; the member for Coquitlam-Maillardville — was such a critical voice in our caucus — her unique experiences as a Jewish woman in politics, the fact that she had relatives in Israel called up to serve in war.
Through her connections, through family and friends, she knew people had been killed, kidnapped. It brought to our team a vital voice representing a key community in our province that's feeling under threat right now.
They're feeling under attack.
And I think the key for me as a leader is to ask myself: what could we have done to make sure that her voice stayed in our caucus? I had a meeting with the member for Coquitlam-Maillardville just a few hours before she left our caucus.
And she didn't raise these issues with me. She didn't feel safe to do that.
So for me, it's a chance to think about: why is that the case? How do I make sure that my caucus colleagues feel safe? Now, it doesn't take away…. I disagree with some of her characterizations of what happened, and I think we could've worked through them, had we had the opportunity.
And I'm going to take that opportunity. I'm going to continue the work that I'm doing, that our government is doing to fight hate, to fight anti-Semitism in our province. I'm meeting with rabbinical council tomorrow, leadership from CIJA, the federation, to make sure that we're supporting the Jewish community, going forward, and fighting anti-Semitism.
It's something this House has been united on, remains united on, and it's in the heart of every single member of our caucus." -- Premier David Eby
While the BC NDP have tried to navigate the issues of the Middle East conflict and the tumult found in British Columbia through a low profile, they have seemingly given some confidence to the large masses in the streets that their actions, which have included very public anti semitic slogans, threats of violence and property damage would not be challenged.
That is not a message that they should be delivering to British Columbians, and the former cabinet minister's letter should give them cause to consider how their lack of action has served to exacerbate the issues over the last few months.
With an election campaign just on the horizon, the ongoing concerns could very well make an issue that will follow the NDP government and the party through the summer.
The current political climate in Victoria would suggest that this could be a very difficult period ahead for the Premier and his caucus members.
Some of the coverage of the evolving events out of Victoria can be reviewed below:
March 6 -- BC premier says former minister's exit from NDP is 'humbling'
March 6 -- Eby says exit of Robison from BC NDP is 'humblin' but disagrees on antisemitism
March 6 -- Selina Robinson quits NDP caucus
March 6 -- MLA Selina Robinson resigns from NDP caucus
March 6 -- MLA Selina Robinson puts NDP caucus, claiming antisemitism, 'double standard'
March 5 -- Selina Robinson resigns from BC NDP caucus, citing antisemitism within party
March 5 -- 'You broke my heart': Selina Robinson's resignation letter to the BC NDP caucus
More notes on the Legislature can be explored here.
We also provide further overview on the Victoria political scene through our political blog D'Arcy McGee.
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