Liberal MP who called Atlantic Canadians ‘EI kind of folks’ called on to apologize

A Nova Scotia Liberal MP is being criticized for calling Atlantic Canadians “EI kind of folks” in answering why he believes the federal Liberals have support in the region.

Jaime Battiste, the MP for Sydney-Victoria, has since attempted to clarify his choice of words, suggesting they’re being twisted by Conservatives.

That’s as Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston called for Battiste to retract his words and apologize, and Premier Blaine Higgs called the comments “derogatory” to New Brunswickers who need support.

Battiste made the comment to reporters earlier this week at the party’s caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., when asked whether the Liberals are “in trouble” in Atlantic Canada.

“I don’t get that sense that we’re in trouble in the Atlantic,” Battiste said.

“I think the Atlantic has typically been a progressive spot, you know, it’s one of those places that are kind of meat and potatoes, fisheries, EI kind of folks that tell us how they think we’re doing and from all indications that I’ve had they don’t reflect what the polls show.”

The comments were seized on and spread across social media.

Houston then started a scrum with reporters on Tuesday by calling on Battiste to apologize.

“I just want to say how disappointing it was to see Jaime’s comments on us ‘EI folks’ down here in Nova Scotia,” Houston said. “Just the characterization of Nova Scotians as EI folks is obviously not acceptable and not representative and he should apologize for that.”

On Wednesday, Higgs classified the comments as an attack on New Brunswick’s workers as well.

“That is a very unfortunate comment and there should be a full apology,” Higgs said. “He should absolutely retract that statement.

“I think it’s derogatory.

“We have a social system there to protect people when they need it, when they’re not able to find a job, are unemployed. That’s very effective and very important here in New Brunswick.”

Battiste has also turned to social media to clarify that he was trying to highlight issues facing Atlantic Canadians, while suggesting his words were twisted by his political adversaries.

“I understand that comments I made to the media yesterday have been misinterpreted, perhaps intentionally so, by some conservative voices,” he said. “In speaking, my effort was to convey that the key issues facing Atlantic Canadians are associated with fisheries, and Employment Insurance.

“Those that have attempted to twist my words on this matter either don’t understand, or don’t care about the issues facing our region.”

He continued that he’s hearing at the door in his Cape Breton riding the “hurt” brought by the Harper Conservatives during their time in government, specifically changes to EI, the closing of our Veterans Affairs offices, and changes to the retirement age.

Still, Battiste’s words harken back to comments made by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper now over two decades ago, when he suggested the Atlantic provinces were trapped in “a culture of defeat.”

That was a reference to what Harper said was a “dependence” of policies designed by Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments that had to be overcome.

The words were widely condemned, including by then Progressive Conservative New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord.