Tuesday, October 23, 2007

NDP candidate withdraws after "inappropriate" comments.

Facts should always be checked before making allegations such as Potts did. Apparently the NDP was able to obtain another candidate before the deadline closed.
I have seen rental properties with one sign on the lawn and a different one in the window. Of course I have also seen lawns with three signs where people residing in the building have seen fit to express their differing political allegiances. I suppose that technically the landowner should have control over what sign is posted on the property but most landowners either let any sign be posted or none. That certainly creates less conflict.

NDP candidate withdraws after 'inappropriate' comments
Veronica Rhodes , CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, October 22, 2007
REGINA - On the urging of Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, the NDP's candidate in Swift Current, Sask., has stepped down after making questionable comments about Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall and his father.

According to a press release issued Monday from the NDP, Jeff Potts has withdrawn from the race after admitting to making comments that Saskatchewan New Democrats deemed "inaccurate and inappropriate."

Potts, who was running against Wall for the seat in Swift Current - about 250 kilometres west of Regina - confirmed he wrote on rabble.ca's discussion forum under the name Famouspipeliner.


Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert

Email to a friend

Printer friendly
Font:****In discussing the Saskatchewan election on the forum, Potts wrote on Oct. 15 that Wall's father John, a Swift Current city councillor who owns some low-rent properties in the city, was putting his son's campaign signs on the rental properties.

About 10 hours later, Potts followed up with this post: "Further to my previous point, there is a Brad Wall sign (rental property) on a known crack house."

The Saskatchewan Party called the comments libellous and urged Calvert to immediately dump Potts as an NDP candidate.

In an interview Monday before his resignation, Potts said he was not inferring the alleged crack house was owned by Wall's father and pointed out the blog posts were made several hours apart.

"I did not allege that it was Mr. Wall's property... I did not say they had any knowledge of what was going on in this house,"_Potts said.

"What I am saying is they are more concerned about putting up the sign than they are about the people living in the house. They should check before putting up the signs on the rental properties. Maybe they should check with the people who are renting them."

According to a Saskatchewan Party news release, John Wall does not currently own any rental properties - a fact of which Potts said he was not aware. Potts said he had no intention of linking the two posts, and was just trying to raise the issues of affordable rental properties and drug abuse in Swift Current.




© Regina Leader-Post

No comments: