P.E.I. MLA removed from committees after suggesting female paramedics can't lift as much weight

P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservative premier has removed one of his MLAs from all legislative standing committees, a day after Tyler DesRoches came under fire for comments he made about female paramedics.

Premier Dennis King said in a statement Thursday that the comments the MLA from Summerside-Wilmot made were "inappropriate, wrong and won't be tolerated."

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DesRoches made the comments while questioning Medavie Health Services director of operations Darcy Clinton during a meeting of the health and social development standing committee Wednesday. Medavie is the operator of the province's ambulance service.

"Not to be sexist or anything like that, is there a stronger recruitment towards males or females?" said the MLA, a volunteer firefighter and thus a medical first responder, asked.

"I just notice a lot more females in the profession now and we get a lot of calls for lift assist because — don't get me wrong, they're great, some of the women that are doing it are unbelievable — but I went to a lift assist the other day because both the females that were working the bus were 105 pounds and the man was 300 pounds and there was no way they were going to get him up."

The MLA apologized later that day on his personal Facebook page, saying he "wholeheartedly" regretted the statement.

"My statement today was insensitive, inappropriate, and wrong; to all Prince Edward Islanders, I'm sorry," he wrote.

"I fully understand that someone's gender should never be a determining factor when evaluating someone's knowledge, skills and abilities to do their work."

DesRoches went on to say he has a daughter and he would never want her to feel she could not do any job she wants to do. He promised to work to do better going forward.

But King said that while he appreciated the apology, Islanders want their elected officials to set an example.

"The MLA has committed to me to doing better and taking the necessary steps to educate himself. As he undertakes this process, I have informed him that I am removing him as a member of all standing committees indefinitely," the premier said.

"Our government is committed to advancing gender equity and this has proven that we still have more work to do. Over the last four years, we have also worked hard to foster a positive relationship with paramedics in Prince Edward Island; as a government, we respect the contributions all paramedics make to our health-care system and want them to know they are valued partners."

Association condemns remarks

Before DesRoches' removal, multiple paramedics and organizations told CBC News they considered the comments inappropriate.

The P.E.I. Paramedics Association called the question "misguided and misogynist" in a statement Thursday morning. 

"Women in EMS are just as dedicated, capable and resilient as their male counterparts," said the statement, signed by president Tyler Graves. "Gender should never be a determining factor in one's ability to excel in this critical profession."

The statement went on to say: "The use of additional resources during difficult lifts and extractions is always recommended regardless of the paramedics attending."

'It hurts a little bit'

Courtney Clory has been a paramedic for 10 years. She said getting a lift assist helps ensure the patient's safety — and if they have extra people to help, they will use them.

Clory said many female paramedics, including herself, feel like they have to work harder to prove they can do the same things their male counterparts can.

"What it shows is the amount of education really needed for the public and the fact that those kind of stereotypes and thoughts are still kind of active today," she said of the MLA's line of questioning.

"I guess it hurts a little bit knowing that there was so many women years ago to pave the way for us… maybe they've even worked a little bit harder to prove themselves, and that we've had to do the same thing."

We need to hold our heads high and continue providing the great job we're doing and proving them wrong over and over again.— Priscilla Beaton, paramedic

Priscilla Beaton, another paramedic, said in an email that all her female colleagues are highly qualified and a "driving force for change in a crumbling health-care system."

She went on: "While the individual who had made the unfounded remarks has apologized, it's still disheartening to witness such outdated beliefs from someone in a position of influence.

"To all women in any work environment: We need to hold our heads high and continue providing the great job we're doing and proving them wrong over and over again with pride and dignity."

Remarks 'deeply troubling'

Green Party Leader Karla Bernard also issued a statement, saying the "deeply troubling incident… serves as a stark reminder of the challenges women continue to face in traditionally male-dominated fields."

The P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government weighed in as well. 

Executive director Sarah Outram said female paramedics have a  right to feel "invalidated" by the comments.

"If your question begins with 'not to be sexist,' there's a concern about what you intend to say after that," Outram said. "The fact that [the question was] gendered was an issue. I think those remarks are damaging to women who are in this field.

If your question begins with 'not to be sexist,' there's a concern about what you intend to say after that.— Sarah Outram, P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government

"It has been a traditionally male-dominated profession, and it is something that we're starting to see change. And with that change comes questions like this and some pushback."

The coalition pointed out that Holland College's paramedicine program includes a physical abilities test that all students must pass, "regardless of their weight class or gender."

Island EMS said in a statement that women have played a "significant role" in meeting the health-care needs of all Islanders, and that they contribute to a workplace where everyone can succeed regardless of background or gender.

"We foster a respectful culture where our teams, patients, partners and communities are valued for who they are and what they contribute," the service said.