Colin Mayes muzzled by party; won't apologize, but admits mistake

Okanagan/Shuswap: Mayes admits to making a mistake in email comment
CHBC 28 January 2007

A defiant Colin Mayes admits he made a mistake but will not apologize for his actions. On Friday, The Okanagan-Shuswap MP was told by BC's First Nations leader he should formally apologize for finding humour in what they're calling a racist joke or resign from his job leading a national committee on Aboriginal affairs. But Mayes doesn't think an apology is necessary for what he calls a minor error in judgement.

When reached by phone Sunday morning at his Ottawa office, Mayes told CHBC news, he continues to feel that "this is just a partisan smear" levelled at him by the Liberal party. He goes on to say that the issue has been completely misrepresented.

But Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the BC Union of Indian Chiefs says this is not just a political issue between the Liberal party of Canada and the Conservative government.

"In our view, he has completely destroyed his credibility and his integrity. And unless he's prepared to formally apologize, then in our view he has no other choice but to resign."

When it comes to Chief Phillip's demand for an apology or resignation, Mayes told CHBC news, "My mistake was that I didn't react by saying this was not appropriate. I should have been more outspoken. The comment wasn't an endorsement of the inappropriate words used in the joke."

But Mayes would not offer an apology.

His remorse may still not be enough to satisfy natives in Canada, according to Phillip.

"His efforts to defend his actions in our view just reveals the arogance of his character. That he believes that he can brush something like this aside."

Mayes agrees that he's overwhelmed by the attention to the email comment and was warned by the party not to comment further. He defends his commitment to Aboriginals both in his constituency and across the country. Mayes suggested that the issue will come up this week when the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs meets in Ottawa, but stopped short of revealing how they will deal with the matter.

[*Colin Mayes, obviously didn't read the press release by the Union of BC Chiefs]