The University of Alberta student publication The Gateway recently made unfounded and defamatory comments about me.
The most damaging and disturbing comment was that I was referred to as “a racist” in not one, but two, articles. It was also falsely alleged I supported candidate Faith Goldy in her campaign to be mayor of Toronto.
I find racism and racists abhorrent. My grandmother was an Indigenous woman and my family has been on the receiving end of deplorable racist comments....
My constituency of Edmonton Griesbach is made up of very ethnically diverse communities and I’m proud and happy to serve them.
As a former journalist of 30 years and an ex-national director of the Canadian Association of Journalists, I’m a strong defender of free speech. However there are limits under Canadian law to free speech. For instance it’s not permissible to state defamatory opinions as conclusive fact.
Publications (printed or online) are also not allowed to repeat the unproven libellous comments of others. When they do, they themselves have committed libel.
The Gateway management has refused to fully retract and apologize for its damaging articles. That’s all I had asked of them.
Given their refusal to do so I’ve filed a statement of claim against The Gateway in order to clear my name from these false allegations. Should this claim be successful I intend to donate net proceeds from any settlement to an Edmonton charity.
Because this matter is now before the courts, this will serve as my last public comment for the foreseeable future on this matter.
Respectfully yours,
Kerry Diotte, MP
Edmonton Griesbach