Two days before the federal election The People含羞草研究社檚 Party of Canada Association fired back at its former president of the Kelowna-Lake Country district, who resigned while making accusations of racism within the party.
Daniel Joseph is running as an independent in the Kelowna-Lake Country riding after leaving the PCC party in March. Joseph announced his resignation in a video he posted to Facebook on March 29.
含羞草研究社淯nfortunately, this party that shouted from the rooftops it was different, has proven to me that it isn含羞草研究社檛 different at all,含羞草研究社� Joseph said in the post. 含羞草研究社淭hey are allowing racist, xenophobic, homophobic and downright hateful people into positions of authority and influence.含羞草研究社�
Among those people Joseph was referring to was Glen Walushka, who was then the party含羞草研究社檚 provincial coordinator.
A release from the PPC Association on Saturday discredited Joseph含羞草研究社檚 accusations, saying the party has worked hard to 含羞草研究社渄ispel any accusations that were directed at us and the party.含羞草研究社�
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The release pointed to an earlier response from Walushka: 含羞草研究社淭he Kelowna-Lake Country PPC Association has always maintained that there was no basis for the allegations that were brought forth by Daniel Joseph only after he was removed from his position as the elected President of the Kelowna-Lake Country PPC Association.含羞草研究社�
The PPC含羞草研究社檚 statement also referenced a Globe and Mail story published on Friday night, which reported that the Conservative Party of Canada paid Daisy Group - a consulting firm owned by Warren Kinsella - to discredit the party, in part by pushing messages of racism within the party on social media. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has so far declined to comment on whether his party used the firm to spread disinformation.
The smear campaign is said to have taken place from April 16 through June 30.
含羞草研究社淭hat is around the time that Daniel Joseph made his claims,含羞草研究社� said Peter Neville, the PPC含羞草研究社檚 CEO of Kelowna-Lake Country.
Neville said the timeline of the Kinsella campaign coincided with Joseph含羞草研究社檚 comments and departure from the party, and was also around the time that Walushka含羞草研究社檚 email account appeared to have been hacked. In June it was reported that the PPC appeared to be the target of cyber fraud, spreading false emails from the PPC含羞草研究社檚 top organizers in an effort to make them appear racist.
含羞草研究社淎ll we know is that according to the Globe, the plan was in place around about the time that Glen Walushka含羞草研究社檚 email was hacked and false emails were sent out - many of them mentioning racism. Whether Daniel had anything to do with this or not we don含羞草研究社檛 know,含羞草研究社� said Neville.
含羞草研究社淲e can含羞草研究社檛 say that any of these are connected but we do have a lot of coincidental stuff going on,含羞草研究社� he added.
On Saturday Joseph responded to the PPC含羞草研究社檚 disavowal of his past comments by saying he still stands by them 含羞草研究社�100 per cent.含羞草研究社�
Joseph also rejected any implication that he was connected to the email hacking, or to yesterday含羞草研究社檚 revelations related to Kinsella.
含羞草研究社淏y bringing up my name and then bringing up Kinsella, that含羞草研究社檚 what it sounds like they含羞草研究社檙e trying to say,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know the exact timeline of the Kinsella thing, but they are two completely separate events. They含羞草研究社檝e got nothing to do with each other.含羞草研究社�
WATCH: Meet your Kelowna-Lake Country candidates
