A former Ontario PC party leadership candidate is being criticized for an email he wrote attacking Christine Elliott and her stance on the province’s new sex-ed curriculum.
The email was meant to highlight the reasons Monte McNaughton stepped out of the race to support Barrie MP Patrick Brown’s leadership bid. In the letter, he says Brown is the only candidate to vocally oppose Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne’s controversial plan to update sex education and that Elliott, the Whitby-Oshawa MPP who is running against Brown, has “waffled on the issue.”
“For the most part, she has done nothing to oppose it,” he says.
However, McNaughton raised the ire of critics when he suggested that Elliott should change her campaign mandate of creating a “big blue tent” and call it a “little red tent or little pink tent” instead.
“There is nothing ‘big’ or ‘blue’ about it,” he wrote.
While “red tent” suggests a likeness to the Liberal party, critics wondered if his pink tent reference had sexist or even homophobic undertones.
“Monte McNaughton’s right to email the party database ended when he withdrew from the leadership race,” said one self-proclaimed PC activist Ken Zeise on social media. “Last night’s email damaged both remaining candidates and the party.”
Joseph Varner, a policy director, also took to Twitter to voice his displeasure.
“I’m right wing but this is disgraceful,” he tweeted. “Views like this say we aren’t ready for prime time.”
Brown’s campaign told CP24 they had no comment on the matter as they are focused on getting members to vote today.
Sunday is the first time party members will have a chance to vote for the PC’s new leader. The winner of the vote will be announced at the party’s leadership convention on May 9.
