A pro-Poilievre social media posting by a Conservative riding committee member in South Surrey-White Rock is being called out for its use of an offensive slur.
Ernie Klassen, the Liberal candidate in the riding, said language used by James J. Yu in a Facebook post made over the weekend is both unacceptable and revealing of entrenched attitudes among some in the community.
In both the posted meme, and his personal comment introducing it, Yu wrote "I'm voting for Pierre Poilievre...Because I'm not retarded."
The web page of the South Surrey-White Rock Conservative Association lists Yu as an "executive committee member."
The original post was removed from Facebook, but not before a screenshot was taken that is now being circulated again by people opposed to Yu's terminology.
"I feel it gives us a window into the Conservative thought process around inclusivity," Klassen told Peace Arch News.
He noted that the post had created anger and concern among members of the community, including parents of neurodivergent children.
"I'm appalled that anybody in this day and age could use the 'R' word," he said.
"I'm 100 per cent in favour of an inclusive society where everyone is respected, regardless of their intellectual abilities."
Klassen said Yu's language demonstrates a lack of respect for the human rights of a segment of society – the equivalent of making a racist statement.
"To me, it's no different than calling out Muslim people in a community, for example," he said.
Conservative candidate Kerry-Lynne Findlay's campaign was quick to distance itself from Yu's post.
In a prepared statement, campaign manager Miguel Martinez said the meme had been "reposted by a campaign volunteer."
"This person is not an authorized representative or official member of our campaign," he said.
"This volunteer was speaking as a private citizen, and those comments do not represent the views of our party or local campaign," he added.
"While we respect free expression, our campaign rejects offensive language, and we will continue to remain focused on uniting people with positive, practical solutions to solve real issues of affordability, opportunity, and our community’s well-being."
