B.C. Liberals deny leadership bid by Aaron Gunn for views 'inconsistent' with party
A prospective candidate for leadership of British Columbia's Liberal party has been denied the opportunity to officially enter the race.
Party officials say Aaron Gunn's application to enter the contest was rejected on grounds that approving his candidacy would be inconsistent with the Liberal party's commitment to reconciliation, diversity and acceptance of all people in B.C.
Roxanne Helme, chair of the B.C. Liberal Party Leadership Election Organizing Committee, and party president Paul Barbeau issued a joint statement declining to approve Gunn's candidacy.
It says the decision was made after a review of public and private comments attributed to Gunn on social media and the opportunities granted to him to respond to concerns raised by the statements.
Gunn posted on social media Friday that free speech is no longer welcome in the Liberal party, adding his fight has just begun.
Leadership candidate Michael Lee said on social media that he welcomed the rejection of Gunn's candidacy, while legislature member Ellis Ross, who is also running, disagreed, saying in a statement on Twitter that the decision should have been made by “the voting members of the B.C. Liberal Party.”
A statement on Gunn's Twitter page said: “Today, it became clear that conservatives, and all British Columbians who believe in common sense and freedom of speech, are no longer welcome in today's B.C. Liberal Party.”
He could not be reached for comment, but Gunn recently told the Vancouver Sun there was no basis for concern about his comments.
“I am very outspoken, but when you drill down to it, some of these rumours that come out have no basis. Some people have accused me of these things, but they can't really point to something specific because it's not really there,” he told the newspaper.
Six candidates, including Gavin Dew, Kevin Falcon, Val Litwin, Renee Merrifield, Ross and Lee, are in the race to elect a new leader on Feb. 5.
In the statement, Barbeau said the party's executive unanimously accepted the recommendation from the leadership election organizing committee on Gunn's candidate application.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.