Nicole Thompson, Canadian Press Posted Thursday, May 12, 2022, 10:37 AM EDT Last Updated on Thursday, May 12, 2022, 10:37 AM EDT
The Ontario Liberals rejected a third candidate in so many days on Thursday after the NDP revealed comments on Facebook that it claimed had used insult to gays.
Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca, who was not yet familiar with Facebook posts when he made a mental health statement Thursday morning, said his party would not tolerate such comments.
“Especially at this time, when you are confronted with or given information about the behavior of the candidates, the attitude of the candidates, the beliefs of the candidates, which are completely unacceptable – completely unacceptable – I think the test of leadership is to move decisively and you don’t leave room for waving and to be unequivocal, “he said.
Within an hour, a party spokesman confirmed that Alec Mazurek had been officially fired as a Liberal candidate in Chatham-Kent-Leamington.
Mazurek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Facebook comments shared by the NDP appear to have been published eight years ago and also include a humiliating remark about women.
Mazurek’s ouster came a day after the party rejected a candidate for Paris Sound-Muskoka after media reports described a self-published book describing unscientific views on homosexuality.
The day before, the Liberals dropped their candidate in Sault Ste. Marie said in a media report that the teen candidate was participating in online discussions in which people joked about “dying of AIDS”, although he told local media that he had not made these comments.
The deadline for nominating candidates was 2pm on Thursday, but Del Duca said he would still try to run with a full ticket.
The party said it would soon have an update on its list of candidates.
Del Duca did not comment on how the Liberals tested their candidates, but said he saw it as an ongoing effort.
“From my point of view, the verification process never stops,” he said.
“We are constantly making sure that we are in contact with our candidates, that we are aware of the best of our abilities, what is happening and what is happening to him.”
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