Liberals dig up offensive social media posts by Conservatives as Scheer campaigns in B.C.
Posted September 15, 2019 6:05 pm.
Last Updated September 15, 2019 7:19 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer is hitting the campaign trail in B.C., but the Liberals are making sure he’s being followed by offensive social media posts by his party’s candidates.
Hedy Fry, Liberal candidate for the Vancouver Centre riding, is the latest to post dirt on a candidate on Twitter. In a tweet Sunday morning, Fry posted a screenshot of an old Facebook comment by Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate John Hirst, who apparently posted a gif with Denzel Washington’s face and a racial slur.
“@AndrewScheer visits Vancouver Island tonight, supporting his Conservative candidates—including John Hirst. Mr. Scheer doesn’t like it when his candidate’s racist posts are revealed. We won’t stop. Canadians deserve to know,” she writes.
.@AndrewScheer visits Vancouver Island tonight, supporting his Conservative candidates—including John Hirst.
Mr. Scheer doesn’t like it when his candidate’s racist posts are revealed.
We won’t stop. Canadians deserve to know. pic.twitter.com/Npg88kPBj6
— Dr. Hedy Fry (@HedyFry) September 15, 2019
The timing of the post isn’t a coincidence: Scheer was in Surrey Sunday morning, and making stops on Vancouver Island late Sunday afternoon.
NEWS 1130 has reached out to Hirst and Scheer’s team for comment, but have yet to hear back.
Offensive posts follow Scheer’s campaign
Liberal candidates have taken to social media to post old, offensive social media posts made by their Conservative rivals every day since Thursday.
On Sept. 12, Liberal candidate Carolyn Bennett (Toronto-St. Paul) posted an old video of Conservative candidate Rachel Willson (York Centre), speaking at an anti-abortion rally in 2017.
In the video, Wilson says she has been involved in the pro-life movement since 2006.
“We believe that there are two parts involved in advancing pro-life legislation, and the number one is prayer. So we believe there is prayer and there is action,” she says.
Is the abortion debate really closed @AndrewScheer? You’ve chosen to launch your Toronto campaign today in York Centre, alongside your leading anti-choice candidate and campaigner. Her top priority is "ending abortion" and "advancing pro-life legislation." Just watch this: pic.twitter.com/zhXWMsrarX
— Carolyn Bennett (@Carolyn_Bennett) September 12, 2019
The next day on Sept. 13, Liberal candidate Ruby Sahota posted an old Facebook comment apparently made by Conservative candidate Arpan Khanna, her rival in the riding of Brampton North. The post uses a homophobic slur.
A Conservative candidate quit yesterday after he was caught spreading racism online. Tonight, @andrewscheer is door-knocking with another candidate who thinks hateful words have a place in.
Scheer promised to show the door to any intolerant Conservative. Will he? pic.twitter.com/zei5dpcxTT
— Ruby Sahota (@rubysahotalib) September 13, 2019
On Saturday, Sept. 14, Liberal candidate Maryam Monsef (Peterborough-Kawartha) posted a video of Justina McCaffrey (Kanata-Carleton) with white nationalist Faith Goldy.
In the video, McCaffrey speaks about her “girlfriend Faith who’s wonderful, we hangout, have glasses of wine, martinis.” Goldy then say she wants to help her friend MacCaffrey’s business, who she’s know for several years.
Banned by Facebook for spreading online hate, yet Faith Goldy is embraced by Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives. Scheer & Goldy spoke at the same rally this year, and today he campaigns with Justina McCaffrey, Faith Goldy’s “best friend.” They even pitched a TV show together. Watch: pic.twitter.com/u6HO7Vy9HC
— Maryam Monsef (@MaryamMonsef) September 14, 2019
Andrew Scheer told reporters on a campaign plane Saturday that as long as candidates take responsiblity for their old comments and apologize, he will stand by them.