Carole James must immediately apologize to British Columbians and our athletes after showing a complete lack of judgement by posing in questionable photos and promoting anti-Olympic messages on the NDP’s photo website.
May 10, 2009 Carole James must immediately apologize to British Columbians and our athletes after showing a complete lack of judgement by posing in questionable photos and promoting anti-Olympic messages on the NDP’s photo website.
“After forcing a candidate to resign over inappropriate Facebook photos, and then lecturing others about appropriate behaviour, Carole James herself now has to explain her behaviour and lack of judgement,” says Finance Minister Colin Hansen, who is responsible for the Olympics. “Quite simply, these posed photos are unbecoming of an individual who wants to be premier and British Columbia’s chief salesperson to the world in 2010. They send completely the wrong message to the thousands of athletes, including many women, who are coming to British Columbia from around the world.”
Hansen was referring to a photo prominently displayed on the BC New Democrats “Flickr” account, in which she poses and smiles with three radio DJs wearing T-shirts stating “Resist 2010 Bitches.” This photo is not only featured in her web photo catalogue, but is also displayed on the main page of that website as a highlight of her campaign. It is dated April 27, just days after photos on Ray Lam’s Facebook led to his forced resignation. At the time, Carole James said Lam showed a lack of judgement.
The NDP have used the Flickr site for the entire campaign and pre-campaign period to feature all the professional photos of Carole James and her travels as taken by her campaign team.
“Carole James has opposed the Olympics from the outset but has now raised her Olympic bashing to a new level by having the sheer audacity to endorse and promote these messages as part of her public election campaign,” says Hansen. “As well, to endorse and prominently feature the use of such offensive language to women during a campaign when she has made every effort to demonize the comments of others is completely hypocritical and a telling illustration of her judgement and her style of leadership.”
The slogan on the T-shirt is also the catchphrase of a related Facebook group featuring Olympic detractors who openly use derogatory and offensive comments to bash the Olympics and its supporters. The phrase is also featured prominently on the website of a known anti-Olympic group called No2010, which has been responsible in the past for violently disrupting community 2010 events and committing repeated acts of vandalism.
“Carole James has one day left to explain this derogatory, anti-Olympic endorsement to voters before they go to the ballot box and decide who will be premier for the 2010 Olympics,” says Hansen. “With these images available to the world, how can Carole James, with any credibility, now say to the international community that she supports the Olympics and athletes? The damage to the province’s reputation could be immeasurable and British Columbians need to take a hard look at who they want representing our province to the world.”
Backgrounder: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BACKGROUNDER: CAROLE JAMES ANTI-2010 PHOTOS(
http://www.bcliberals.com/media/BACKGROUNDER-CAROLE_JAMES_ANTI-2010_PHOTOS.pdf)
