Gord Steeves defends wife, tries to explain racist comments

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Gord Steevessaid his wife's racist comments were made out of fear and anger.

"My wife was scared and she was very angry and she reacted," he told reporters on Tuesday, after starting his press conference with an announcement about zoning.The comments were not my comments. I support my wife, and I love her and I stand with her, and she made the apology, and I support her.

The zoning announcementprompted many confused expressions and caused people on Twitter to wonder whatSteeveswas doing.

He was also heckled by people atBonnycastlePark, where the press conference was made.

Initially,Steevestried to keep the location and time of the press conference embargoed, asking the media to keep it quiet.

He was quickly criticized for that on social media and about an hour before it began at 1 p.m. CT,Steeves' campaign team released the details publicly.

"We know the comments were wrong. Lorrie acknowledges that,"Steevessaid.

• Homeless respond to Lorrie Steeves racist 'handout' comments
• Gord Steeves' wife under fire for 'drunken native' Facebook post

The controversial comments, posted to LorrieSteeves' Facebook page in 2010, came to light on Friday and have overshadowedSteeves' campaign.

LorriesSteeveswrote she was really tired of gettingharrassed(sic) by the drunken native guys in the skywalks.

She went on to say, We all donate enough money to the government to keepthier(sic) sorry assess (sic) on welfare, so shut the f**k up and don't ask me for another handout!"

She has since apologized for the comments, but Steeves took four days to address the matter.

Despite calls for him to drop out of the mayoral race, Steeves said on Tuesday he will not do that.

"I'm a candidate in the mayoralty race but I'm also a husband and a father," he said. "She did something in poor judgment, and she acknowledges that and she apologizes. She is a good, caring, wonderful person, a great mother and a wonderful wife."

Steeves tries to provide 'context'

Steeves also said the comments were made after an incident in which one of the pandhandlers jumped up, put his finger in her face and said words to the effect of, Whats the matter? Dont you like native men?

Steeves said the story didnt excuse the Facebook post, though.

I only tell it to give it some context, he said.

When asked why he took so long to address the comments publicly, Steeves said he focused on taking care of his family on the weekend.

As for wider concerns about a city divided by race and economic potential, made by fellow candidate Robert Falcon Ouellette, Steeves acknowledged there may be components of racism in the city.

He added, I think that whoever might be elected as mayor might have a challenge in trying to bring different groups [together.]

Aboriginal community, political analysts react

Members of Winnipegs aboriginal community say theyre not happy with what Gord Steeves had to say Tuesday.

He is trying to run for the mayor of Winnipeg and certainly should apologize to the extent that he doesnt condone such negative remarks against a certain race, said Jim bear, the chief of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation.

Harrison Friesen, who was at Tuesdays press event, agrees.

• Winnipeg tweets: Steeves' address lambasted on Twitter

It was more of a priority to address his campaign than to address First Nation racism [or] to apologize for his wife, you know, said Friesen.

Jackie Traverse had hoped Steeves would step down and was disappointed when he didnt.

It just makes me think how many other people think like that, you know, said Traverse. We as First Nations, we have to organize and we have to get our people voting because we have to make the change ourselves.

Althea Guiboche had personally invited Gord Steeves to volunteer to help the homeless shortly after the comments surfaced. He was a no show.

On Tuesday, she went to his presser and tried to get his attention but was ignored, she said.

Shes a white, suburban woman whos skittish downtown. A lot of people are skittish downtown- Winnipegger JohnPaskievich

If hes going to treat someone thats talking to him like they dont exist that shows me a lot about how he treats people and looks at other people, she said.

But not everyone was unsatisfied with what Gord Steeves said.

John Paskievich attended the presser on Tuesday and said even though he doesnt plan to vote for the man, he thinks he deserves a break.

His wife isnt running for political office, said Paskievich. Shes a white, suburban woman whos skittish downtown. A lot of people are skittish downtown.

Scott MacKay with Probe Research thinks despite the social media flurry around Lorrie Steeves comments, Gord Steeves may not have alienated all of his voters.

"I think that for those that share these views of downtown and the view expressed by Gord Steeves wife, that it well help to solidify that vote, said MacKay. Whether or not it would attract new voters I am sort of dubious about that."