The Ontario Liberal Party has dropped its 18-year-old candidate for the Soo.
Aidan Kallioinen, who hails from Espanola, was acclaimed on Monday for the Sault Ste. Marie area, but was let go on Tuesday for alleged comments he made online.
A high school student, he says he decided to run for the party in Sault Ste. Marie, about 240 kilometres from his hometown, since he was already volunteering for Algoma-Manitoulin Liberal candidate Timothy Vine.
But the next day he got a call from the Liberal Party to say he would no longer continue in that role.
He said party officials told him a media report had surfaced that alleged he made some inappropriate comments in an online gaming forum, but he says his memory is fuzzy on that, although he accepted their decision.
On Wednesday night the Ontario Liberals nominated Liam Hancock as the candidate for Sault Ste. Marie.
The party has also dropped its candidate for Parry Sound-Muskoka.
The NDP called on the Liberals to dismiss Barry Stanley after a story by The Toronto Star revealed he wrote a book that claimed that ‘depleted rebreathing’ in infants may lead to homosexuality.
A Liberal spokesperson says Stanley did not tell them about the self-published book, adding the party condemns the offensive views, and will not accept any candidates who have a track record of bigotry or homophobia.
So far, Stanley hasn’t commented.
