Adedokun Waliyu 
The debate on whether to censure an Ontario NDP MPP is expected to continue at Queen’s Park on Monday.
Last week, the Ford government introduced a motion that could lead to Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama being censured if she does not apologize for a statement she made on the Israel-Hamas war. The motion’s approval would effectively silence Jama in the legislature.
The Progressive Conservatives have a majority so the motion will likely pass, but House Speaker Paul Calandra would not necessarily be bound to follow it, and could exercise his discretion to still allow Jama to speak.
Jama came under fire earlier this month for the online post she made in response to the latest Israel-Hamas war where she decried the “occupation” of Palestinian territories without mentioning the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas militants.
She later posted an apology but did not retract her original statement. She has since pinned the post on her X account so it stays visible at the top of her profile.
Jama has since sent a cease-and-desist letter to Premier Doug Ford for his statement on her comments. Ford’s statement accused Jama of having “a long and well documented history of antisemitism.”
The notice from her lawyer, dated Oct. 17, demands that Ford retract and apologize for his statement within the next seven days. Ford has not publicly commented on the letter and his statement regarding Jama remains visible on his social media accounts.
Jama shut down her Hamilton office on Friday, citing safety concerns.
“We’ve recently received a number of concerning calls and emails that have made us question the safety of remaining open for walk-ins,” she said in a statement.
