NDP revoke Marilyn North Peigan's candidacy in Calgary riding over inflammatory tweets
She later apologized for her posts, saying they were 'untrue, disrespectful and hurtful'
The Alberta NDP have revoked Calgary-Klein nominee Marilyn North Peigan's candidacy after an inflammatory series of tweets took aim at a Calgary city councillor and the Calgary Stampede board.
She later apologized for the comments, calling them "untrue, disrespectful and hurtful."
In the now-deleted tweets, North Peigan targeted former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis and Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean, who have been the subject of controversial videos that purport to show the men taking part in racist mocking of Indigenous people.
In response to news stories and posts about the pair, North Peigan called the men names, took aim at a family member and said the Calgary Stampede board was "corrupt."
"The behaviour demonstrated in certain videos by the Calgary Ward 13 councillor is racist and therefore unacceptable. We hope he will be held accountable in a substantive manner," Brandon Stevens, the NDP's provincial secretary, wrote in an emailed statement.
"Notwithstanding this, the statements made on Twitter today by a candidate for the NDP regarding the councillor's family and the Stampede are not appropriate and do not reflect the views of the Alberta NDP."
He added that the publication of North Peigan's posts came after a "continued pattern of behaviour that undermines this candidate's ability to work with, or stand on behalf of, the Alberta NDP and its members."
North Peigan's candidacy was revoked Wednesday in a decision by party table officers, Stevens said. Calgary-Klein is currently held by UCP MLA Jeremy Nixon.
Late Thursday afternoon, North Peigan took to Twitter with a long thread apologizing to all those she had targeted.
"I apologize unreservedly to the people and organizations who found themselves caught up in my posts," wrote the Piikani Nation member. "You did not deserve to receive these messages, which came from a place of deep pain and trauma resulting from my lived experience of racism."
Personal Statement of Marilyn North Peigan<br><br>Thursday, November 3, 2022 – Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 Territory; Calgary, AB<br><br>On Tuesday evening I posted a number of tweets that were untrue, disrespectful, and hurtful. These messages were posted by me to my personal account. No one on
—@MNorthPeiganStevens said the NDP would be reaching out to the Calgary Stampede board to affirm that the comments do not reflect the views of the Alberta NDP.
The Calgary Stampede declined a request for comment.
North Peigan is also a member on the Calgary Police Commission — a citizen volunteer position.
The police commission said it is aware of North Peigan's tweets and is reviewing them from a code of conduct standpoint.
With files from Scott Dippel, Colleen Underwood, Omar Sherif, Jade Markus