Conservatives drop Quebec candidate for accusing Polytechnique survivor of exploiting shooting

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 5:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The Conservative Party of Canada has dropped a Quebec campaigner aft helium harshly criticized Liberal campaigner and Polytechnique shooting subsister Nathalie Provost online.

Simon Payette volition nary longer beryllium moving for the CPC successful the Berthier—Maskinongé riding, a spokesperson for the enactment confirmed successful an email. 

"This individual's behaviour is wholly inappropriate, and cannot beryllium excused," states Sam Lilly. "He volition not beryllium a candidate."

In 1 of respective societal media posts and comments, Payette accused Provost, an advocator for stricter weapon laws, for utilizing the calamity to "grease the palms of anti-gun extremists."

The Berthier—Maskinongé riding is conscionable northeast of Montreal, portion Provost is moving for predetermination successful the Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding.

In an interrogation with Radio-Canada connected Friday, Payette defended himself.

"Everyone is shouting loudly that determination are supposedly lobbyists for firearms, but determination are lobbyists connected the different broadside excessively and nary 1 is talking astir that," said Payette.

This is astatine slightest the 5th campaigner the enactment has dropped arsenic the April 28 predetermination nears, and the 2nd successful Quebec this week.

On Tuesday, Stefan Marquis announced connected X that helium is nary longer a candidate in the Montreal riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie owed to caller posts helium made connected the societal media platform.

The CPC confirmed that Marquis was nary longer a candidate, but declined to supply a reason.

Marquis has made respective posts and comments relating to conspiracy theories connected subjects specified arsenic COVID-19, vaccines, the World Economic Forum and the penetration of Ukraine.