Baptiste never thought letter would result in her dismissal

When she wrote her controversial eleven-page letter to the President of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Arnhim Eustace last week Tuesday, Anesia Baptiste did not think it would result in her dismissal.{{more}}

Rather she thought it would lead to further discussion on a policy, which had been articulated by Eustace during the Internal Strategy Support Meeting earlier that day.

“I did not think that because I disagreed with the policy of the party on the grounds that the policy formed was not democratic, and that it was unconstitutional, but that was not something for me to resign. I thought it would have led to further dialogue,” Baptiste said on Wednesday at a press briefing at Frenches House.

“Why should I resign?” she asked.

“I loved the party and I wanted to fix something that was wrong,” Baptiste contended.

Eustace however on his radio program on Monday described the letter, which was leaked late last week, as having contained “certain insulting language” aimed at him personally and other members of the party.

But Baptiste maintained that the language used in that letter was not intended to insult but to educate Eustace.

“How can a prime minister in waiting take matters of rights and freedoms as an insult?”

Meanwhile, the former senator provided copies of the letter at the press conference, saying that she was doing this for the first time and that the letter was leaked.

“I must make that clear because any letters you see on the Internet or wherever, I only gave these letters to the Opposition Leader,” Baptiste said.

She said that her husband also dropped off hardcopies of the letter, which also included audio clips of Shefflorn Ballantyne’s comments to members of the strategy committee and that she did not distribute it to anyone else. (DD)