Horwath accepts apology from NDP Kenora-Rainy River candidate for controversial Facebook posts
CBC News | Posted: May 18, 2018 3:53 PM | Last Updated: May 19, 2018
A 2015 post by Glen Archer said Wynne 'should be in prison' for 'blowing taxpayer's money'
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says she has accepted the apology of her party's Kenora-Rainy River candidate after his 2015 Facebook posts criticizing the Liberals resurfaced.
The Liberals issued a press release Friday condemning two of Glen Archer's 2015 Facebook posts, including one that said the premier "should be in prison" as she was "blowing taxpayer's money."
"He realizes that it was inappropriate, and he has fully apologized for that statement," Horwath told CBC News. "I've accepted that apology because it's clear that kind of language and those kinds of attitudes are not what we need in Ontario politics."
Archer apologized Friday for the language he used in one of his controversial 2015 Facebook posts, adding that he removed it "some time ago."
"After years of Liberals ignoring northwest Ontarians, my frustrations spilled over and I should have used more appropriate words," he said.
Criticism for Facebook post
Archer, a corrections officer, has also faced criticism for a Facebook page that listed his favourite quote as "If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you!"
Horwath told CBC News she was unaware of the post but said it is clear that violence is something the party doesn't condone.
"That's not the way we solve problems," she said. "I don't know if Mr. Archer has acted on those kinds of comments that he's alleged to have made, but it's certainly something that I don't agree with."
When asked by CBC News about the quote, Archer said it was "corrections humour" and that he was unaware that the quote was still online.
"It was addressed to my peers and very tongue-in-cheek, and it was a quote that I heard in a movie that I thought was quite funny," he said. "It in no way, shape or form is reflective on our party or our principles."
Archer added that he has since removed the page and "apologized unequivocally."
The Liberals' release Friday also criticized Horwath's "silence" on the controversy surrounding Hamilton NDP candidates Paul Miller and Monique Taylor following employee complaints of bullying, abuse of power and racism.
The NDP leader said in April she was holding off on deciding if there's a culture problem in Hamilton MPP offices in the wake of the allegations.