Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke: Green party announces Michael LaRiviere no longer its candidate after controversial remark
LaRiviere suggested COVID vaccine passports were a step towards a Nazi practice during the Second World War.
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As voters in the riding prepared to head to the polls, Green party Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke announced that Michael LaRiviere was no longer its candidate.
The announcement came late Sunday night via a post on the Green party R-N-P’s Facebook page.
Last week during the YourTV all-candidates’ debate, LaRiviere suggested COVID vaccine passports were a step toward a Nazi practice during the Second World War.
“I’ve been vaccinated, but I don’t want to have to walk around with a passport. … The way I look at it is the Gestapo and the German military during the Second World War wanted people to be tattooed, and this (vaccine passports) is the beginning of that step,” LaRiviere said during the broadcast.
“We’ve already got an autocracy in Ottawa, we don’t have a democracy, and that troubles me.”
Sunday night, Green party R-N-P posted an apology on its Facebook page and announced that LaRiviere had withdrawn his candidacy.
“It was recently brought to our attention that Green Party candidate Michael Lariviere made unacceptable comments at an all candidates’ debate last week. We deeply regret Mr. La Riviere’s offensive statements and apologize sincerely for the distress his words have caused. Mr. Lariviere has now withdrawn his candidacy,” the post reads.
Postmedia repeatedly contacted the local party this morning for further clarification but has yet to receive a response.
LaRiviere’s name reportedly remains on the ballet as the Green party candidate, but if elected he would not represent the party.
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