Andrea Dunlop, the BC NDP candidate for Columbia River-Revelstoke, has called on opponent Scott McInnis to denounce racism and extremism in the BC Conservative Party.

Her call comes after McInnis’s colleague Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman was revealed to have made repeated Islamophobic, hateful and anti-Indigenous statements. McInnis’s leader John Rustad has so far refused to remove Chapman as a candidate, a BC NDP media release stated.

“No matter the party, people expect that there are consequences for racism. With under a week until the election, the voters of Columbia River-Revelstoke need to hear directly from Scott McInnis about whether he is comfortable running alongside the likes of Brent Chapman,” said Dunlop.

Candidate McInnis’s campaign staff told e-KNOW he is not issuing a response to Dunlop’s challenge as it is a blanket press release issued by the BC NDP to all Conservative candidates in B.C.

McInnis’ colleague’s perspectives include repeatedly making hateful comments about Muslims, who jokes about the horrors of residential schools and violence against people at Pride Vancouver, and who suggested the mass shootings at the Quebec Mosque, Sandy Hook Elementary, and the Orlando nightclub were faked, the BC NDP media release noted.

“The people of Columbia River-Revelstoke deserve answers from Scott McInnis,” Dunlop said. “Will he stand up and condemn the racism and extremism of his party colleagues?”

While McInnis opted to not respond, a former long-time regional MLA and cabinet minister has offered a reply via a letter to the editor.

Former Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett (BC Liberal Party) stated in part:  “Scott McInnis is not extreme and Andrea Dunlop knows that.  Nonetheless, the partisan pathetics at NDP HQ forced out this sad, last ditch effort to smear Scott. Scott’s been a teacher at the same time as Ms. Dunlop. She knows his relationship with students, other teachers, the administration, and the community, is one of respectful interaction.

“I feel sorry for Ms. Dunlop that she was told she had to issue this silly statement. But it is consistent with her refusal to stand face-to-face and debate Scott in Kimberley,” said Bennett, now a Colombia River-Revelstoke voter.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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