UPDATE 11:25 a.m. : Dix accepted Van Ryswyk's resignation 90 minutes after the story about her previous comments broke. He called the comments "unacceptable" and said a new candidate will be announced shortly.
Twenty minutes before Premier Christy Clark arrived at Government House to get the election writ, the BC Liberal Party released some controversial postings from an Okanagan NDP candidate.
The clock is now ticking for NDP Leader Adrian Dix, in terms of a response.
Liberals allege that Kelowna-Mission NDP candidate Dayleeen Van Ryswyk posted some negative remarks about natives and French Canadians on a local community website.
Liberal MLA Mary Polak called them unacceptable and hateful.
In a discussion thread titled ‘Strip them of the Status Card,’ Ms. Ryswyk wrote four years ago: “It’s not the status cards, it’s the fact that we have been paying out of the nose for generations for something that isn’t our doing. If their ancestors sold out too cheap it’s not my fault and i shouldn’t have to be paying for any mistake or whatever you want to call it from MY hard earned money.
She also wrote: “The government is nothing more than a big black hole that feeds off the working man, sucking his last penny from his hand so they can give it away freely or lose it stupidly on things like fast ferries and about a zillion other stupid things.”
“Seems the only group of people universally hated around the world other than the Americans are the french and FRENCH CANADIANS…the bigots are the french and not us….” (sic)
“I’m getting so sick of having french stuffed down my throat…this isn’t Quebec…it’s western Canada…we speak english here….why are we forced to have it at our western Canadian hosted Olympics?” (sic)
Oddly enough, Dix worked as B.C. executive director of Canadian Parents for French before running for office.
Premier Clark said the remarks were disgraceful and Van Ryswyk has no business running for office. She said it's up to Dix to take action.
The party had problems with candidates in previous elections, as well.
