Social media mistakes: A short history after Ala Buzreba steps aside

Ala Buzreba, the former federal Liberal candidate for Calgary Nose Hill, is just the latest victim of social media posts coming back to haunt you. 

• Liberal Ala Buzreba apologizes, steps downs after offensive tweets found
• Deborah Drever suspended from NDP caucus

Tim Powers, vice president of Summa Strategies and frequent panelist on Power & Politics, says vetting is "erratic" during elections and parties simply don't have the resources to go through every candidate's social media history.

"Just look at this federal election. Each of the three main political parties are looking to have 338 candidates, over half of those candidates in most of those parties are probably new, and some will get more attention others," he said.

Powers doesn't think that Buzreba needed to step down, but does point to the reach and the damage social media gaffes can pose.

• Liberals defend former Calgary candidate over offensive tweets

"It's just the ability to have that messaging become so embarrassing that in the case of Ala Buzreba, Justin Trudeau was responding to this during the election campaign," he said. 

"Justin Trudeau doesn't want to be responding to this, he wants to focus his energy and his guns on Stephen Harper and all that's happening here at the courthouse in Ottawa surrounding Mike Duffy."

But it's not just candidates or the newly elected who sometimes put their digital feet in their mouths. 

Here's a short and incomplete history of some notable Canadian social media mistakes from candidates and cabinet ministers alike

Minster

Stephen Harper's team was quick off the bat after the first leaders' debate of the 2015 election, but they should have taken a bit more time to check their spelling 

#BakeofFire

First there was the Lake of Fire, brought on by Wildrose candidate Allan Hunsperger in 2012 when a blog he had written saying gay people would burn for eternity in a lake of fire burst onto social media. 

In 2015, it was a more lighthearted mistake that caught on, circulating under #BakeofFire.

Deborah Drever

It was only after she was elected as MLA in Calgary-Bow that social media posts surfaced of Deborah Drever that many thought inappropriate. She was eventually kicked out of the NDP caucus and remains on the outside, sitting as an independent.

David Xiao

During the recent provincial campaing in Alberta, David Xiao was forced to distance himself from campaign manager Graham Fletcher after he tweeted offensive comments against Muslims.

In a post that has since been deleted, Fletcher said: "Anybody as fed up as I am having Muslims put their big offended foot into the middle of every damn thing out there?"

He also left comments on a website, and attacked multiculturalism in another tweet. He was fired.

Pat Martin

When it comes to colourful language, Pat Martin of the NDP could probably provide a master class. From dropping f-bombs to calling the Conservatives "rat-faced whores," he set a new standard. He has also since quit Twitter.

Jason Kenny and ISIS

Trying to make a point about ISIS and its oppression of women, then minister of multiculturalism and national defence Jason Kenney — the current Conservative MP in Calgary Midnapore — inadvertently included an image of women in chains that is actually part of a ceremony portraying the heroism of the prophet Mohammad's grandson, Hussein, and his family.

Patrick Brazeau

Former senator Patrick Brazeau wasn't shy on Twitter, but he took things too far when he attacked journalist Jennifer Ditchburn, saying she should replace the D with a B in her last name. His tweet has since been deleted.

Alan Saldhana

In what is likely the most offensive social media post by a Canadian politician in recent memory, B.C. Green Party candidate Alan Saldhana was forced to resign in 2011 after he wrote on his Facebook page: "If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it!" The post has since been taken down. 

Wyatt Scott for the win

All of these people could learn a thing or two about effective use of the internet by Wyatt Scott, an independent candidate for Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon in B.C. in this year's federal election. He's here "TO FIGHT FOR CANADA!"