Former Opposition leader Stockwell Day has stepped down from two corporate boards and a role as a TV commentator after he told the CBC Canadians aren’t racist..Day was asked on CBC’s Power & Politics show about comments made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada had a problem with systemic racism..“We have to recognize that our system is not perfect in Canada,” Day said..“Yes, there’s a few idiot racists hanging around but Canada is not a racist country and most Canadians are not racist. And our system, that always needs to be improved, is not systemically racist.”.“Should I have gone through school and been mocked because I had glasses and was called four-eyes and because of the occupation of my parents?” Day asked..“Should I have been mocked for all that? No, of course not. But are Canadians largely and in majority racist? No, we are not..“We celebrate our diversity around the world and for the prime minister to insinuate — and it is an insinuation — that our system is systemically racist is wrong.”.It wasn’t long before Twitter became a baying mob of people arguing Day – a cabinet minister under the government of Stephen Harper – was wrong.. POLL: Many Albertans say they will ignore Christmas COVID lockdown .Shortly after Day issued his own statement..“By feedback from many in the Black and other communities I realize my comments in debate on Power and Politics were insensitive and hurtful. I ask forgiveness for wrongly equating my experiences to theirs. I commit to them my unending efforts to fight racism in all its forms.,” Day said in a tweet Wednesday..The fallout continued with Day stepping down from his role on the CBC panel, the board of directors at Telus and as a strategic adviser for McMillan LLP..“At McMillan LLP, we believe that systemic racism is real and that it can only be addressed when each of us — as individuals and organizations — commits to meaningful change,” the company said in a statement..“Yesterday, Stockwell Day made comments during a televised interview that run counter to this view. Today, he offered his resignation as a strategic advisor at our firm and it was accepted.”.In a statement, Telus said: “The views expressed by Mr. Day during yesterday’s broadcast of Power & Politics are not reflective of the values and beliefs of our organization.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
