rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

NDP Durham candidate in hot water over offensive Web postings

by rabble staff

The Liberal Party has issued a press release calling for the immediate firing of Andrew McKeever, the NDP candidate in Durham, Ontario. The Liberal release states:

NDP Leader Jack Layton must fire his candidate in the riding of Durham over inappropriate comments he made on the internet this summer on the subject of United States war deserters.

“Mr. Layton must fire his candidate in Durham, Andrew McKeever, who threatened people who didn’t agree with him with physical violence in a web posting,” said Durham Liberal Candidate Bryan Ransom.

The following quotes from Mr. McKeever’s Facebook posts are intolerant and demonstrate lack of fitness for public office:

“Answer a direct f**king question you c**t. I can guarantee, if I ever see you face to face I will make you squeal for the same authority you have such a baseless disdain for” [to a woman poster on the Facebook group]

“…one by one the TraitorCriminalDeserters [US war deserters] will be sent back down south to face the music”

“There is no room for this kind of vicious, threatening attack in Canadian politics. These comments are beyond the pale and Jack Layton must denounce them and fire his candidate immediately,” said Dan McTeague, Liberal Candidate for Pickering-Scarborough-East.

The Liberals have made public a pdf file of some of the offending remarks made in a Facebook discussion by the Durham NDP candidate. The comments attributed to McKeever include sexist and violent language, and derogatory comments about U.S. war resisters seeking refuge in Canada. (The NDP has consistently supported sanctuary for the resisters.)

A number of McKeever’s comments were made toward krystalline kraus, a long-time rabble.ca contributor.

Yesterday, on the “Andrew McKeever for Durham NDP” Facebook group, the candidate posted the following:

I took part in several online discussions over the last few months and was often a less than respectful contributor, exchanging insults with other members.

I am deeply sorry for having offended anyone.

My uppermost concern has always been the support of the men and women of the Canadian Forces and their families. I also acknowledge the legitimate moral reservations of those who cannot, in good faith, fight any longer.

As of 3p.m. EST, the NDP campaign had not yet made any official statement on the matter. (On babble, the discussion is already focused on when McKeever will be dropped by the NDP).

McKeever, 34, is a recent university graduate who won the NDP nomination for Durham last week.

Update: Late this afternoon, an NDP spokesperson commented on the issue to rabble.ca: “The NDP candidate in Durham has apologized for the comments he made on Facebook. It was a fulsome apology and he is making a direct apology to those whom he offended.”