Eastern Ontario Green Party candidate withdraws night before election following 'unacceptable' comments
The Green Party riding association for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke says their candidate, Michael Lariviere, has withdrawn his candidacy following comments at a local debate.
Lariviere compared proof of vaccination systems to Nazi Germany during the debate on Sept. 14.
"I don't want to have to walk around with a passport," he said in response to a question asking whether candidates support the efforts to encourage vaccinations against COVID-19.
"The way I look at it is, the Gestapo and the German military during the Second World War wanted people to be tattooed and this is the next—the beginning of that step."
In a Facebook post late Sunday night, the riding association apologized for Lariviere's comments.
"It was recently brought to our attention that Green Party candidate Michael Lariviere made unacceptable comments at an all candidates’ debate last week," the post says. "We deeply regret Mr. La Riviere’s (sic) offensive statements and apologize sincerely for the distress his words have caused. Mr. Lariviere has now withdrawn his candidacy."
In a reply to a comment on the Facebook post, the party said Lariviere "made offensive and untrue comments during the campaign that bordered on hate speech" and apologized for any distress.
The post came just under 12 hours before polls opened on Election Day. Lariviere's name will remain on the ballot because it is well past the official withdrawal date.
John Epps, the CEO of the Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke Green Party Association told CTVNewsOttawa.ca by phone that Lariviere was contacted by the party when his comments came to light, but he refused to retract them or apologize.
"There is no room in the Green Party of Canada for this kind of behaviour," Epps said. "I, as his delegate, apologize to our supporters for any discomfort this may have caused."
Epps is the individual who answered the phone number listed on Elections Canada's website for Lariviere.
Lariviere did not appear on the Green Party of Canada's website as a candidate on Monday.
Other candidates running in the riding include:
- Conservative Party: Cheryl Gallant (incumbent)
- Liberal Party: Cyndi Mills
- NDP: Jodie Primeau
- People's Party of Canada: David Ainsworth
- Independent: Stefan Klietsch
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.