NDP apologizes after insensitive Mandel tweet
UCP provides the same column to two newspapers, but credits different MLAs
As Alberta rolled into the new year awash with sunshine and comparative warmth, we resolved to shine more light on the social media messages shot into cyberspace by elected representatives, parties and the political action committees that support them.
Each week, we’ll give you a roundup of the outrage, the posturing and the downright weird unfolding on social media.
NDP TWEET BACKFIRES
A tweet aimed at Alberta Party leadership candidate Stephen Mandel backfired on the Alberta NDP Thursday and solicited a slew of negative reactions online.
The NDP’s tweet focused on a news story from Mandel’s time as health minister under the Progressive Conservatives in 2014. It included an upside-down image, mimicking recent tweets from Mandel whose social media stunt was supposed to illustrate that the province is upside-down. The tweet said “falling oil prices put cancer treatment centre on hold.”
The NDP admitted the tweet about the cancer centre was insensitive; Mandel’s daughter recently died from lymphoma. The NDP apologized and deleted the tweet.
#SCANDAL #SARCASM
Two United Conservative Party MLAs authored the same column that appeared in local newspapers a day apart.
House leader Jason Nixon’s column, headlined “The biggest political lie in Alberta history,” was published Jan. 5 by the Eckville Echo, and it was followed the next day by the publication of the same column in the Stettler Independent, but under UCP MLA Rick Strankman’s byline. Both had the same headline.
UCP caucus spokeswoman Annie Dormuth said in an email Wednesday it’s normal to share communication products for use in local media.
On Twitter, the UCP caucus pointed to content reused by the NDP, accenting their quip with hashtags #scandal #sarcasm.
For his part, UCP Leader Jason Kenney gave credit to Nixon with this tweet: “The NDP’s deception on their carbon tax is not only the biggest tax increase in the history of Alberta, it’s also the biggest political lie told to Albertans.”