Tory MP apologizes for calling McKenna ‘climate Barbie’

Conservative MP Gerry Ritz has apologized for referring to Environment Minister Catherine McKenna as “climate Barbie” on Twitter, a nickname with origins in the far-right news website The Rebel.

Ritz deleted the post, which was in reply to other Twitter users, and apologized, saying that kind of language “is not reflective of the role the minister plays.”

Before the post was deleted, McKenna responded to Ritz, tweeting: “Do you use that sexist language about your daughter, mother, sister? We need more women in politics. Your sexist comments won’t stop us.”

As the social media firestorm burned, McKenna thanked supporters for defending her and retweeted a post from Canadian Olympian Penny Oleksiak that urged her followers to “please treat people kindly.”

Senior Liberals were quick to condemn the comments and Gerald Butts, one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top advisers, immediately drew the connection to The Rebel, saying there has been a long-running, “repellent sexist campaign” against McKenna since she was named environment minister.

A search of The Rebel’s website brings up 114 articles containing the phrase “climate Barbie;” its founder, Ezra Levant, has used the nickname in tweets and the organization’s Alberta bureau chief, Sheila Gunn Reid, took credit Tuesday night on Twitter for coining the phrase.

Conservative politicians have been cutting ties with The Rebel since its coverage of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last month. Party leader Andrew Scheer vowed not to do interviews with the news site, as did leadership candidates in the Alberta United Conservative Party race.

The Rebel’s co-founder, Brian Lilley, and several contributors also cut ties with the organization. Levant subsequently sent out a staff memo distancing himself and The Rebel from the altright.

Ritz was heavily criticized in 2008 when, as agriculture minister in Stephen Harper’s government, he joked that the listeriosis outbreak was “like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts.” Harper’s office condemned the comments.

Ritz announced last month that he is retiring as a member of Parliament.