NDP guilty of 'double standard' after silence on Wab Kinew's misogynistic lyrics: Tories

Past offensive, misogynistic comments made by former Liberal candidate Jamie Hall and years-oldlyrics by current NDP candidate Wab Kinew "calls into question the judgment of both the Bokhari Liberals and the Selinger NDP," the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives say.

"Hateful comments like those made by former Liberal candidate Jamie Hall (Southdale) and current NDP candidate Wab Kinew (Fort Rouge)devalue and degrade women and have no place in 2016 in rap music, literature or politics," Fort Rouge PC candidate Audrey Gordon told reporters Friday.

• Manitoba candidates Jamie Hall and Wab Kinew under fire for comments about women
• ANALYSIS |Jamie Hall's tweets easily avoidable political trap on social media

The Tories said just asBokhariremained silent for a day on theHallcontroversy immediately,Premier GregSelinger'sresponsetoKinew'searlierremarks about women is also lacking.

"Selingerhas likewiseshown poor judgment in his refusal to condemn the objectionable words of his candidate in Fort Rouge, despite expressing outrage at similar comments made by the former Liberal candidate forSouthdale," Gordon said.

The Liberals droppedHall Thursday as the party'sSouthdale candidate, a dayafter inappropriatetweets he made a few years ago about "whores" and "skanks"surfaced.

"Ms. [Rana]Bokharishowed poor judgment in both her choice of candidate forSouthdaleand her decision not to immediately remove him and condemn his comments," Gordon said.

"Ms.Bokharitook 24 hours to think about it what's there to think about? Wrong is wrong," she added.

Gordon's comments, the first on the matter from the PCs,come a full two days after Hall's tweets were put under the microscope.

Among thetweets that landed Hall in hot waterwas one referring to his girlfriendas a "skank." Hall claimed the term was on balance with a word like"jerk" within his circle of friends.

In an exclusive interview with CBC News Thursday, Hall said he won't censor himself ordeletethose tweets."I'm owning my words 100 per cent," he said, adding the comments were made in jest.

'No place for misogyny'

Kinewhas also been thrust into the conversation. The former CBC broadcaster and hip-hop artistpreviously referred to women as "bitches" and "whores" in his music. Kinewsays he acknowledged and apologized for those and other problematic lyrics in his 2015 book,The Reason You Walk.

"I think I've been very upfront about the fact that I've changed the way Iview things and recognize there's no place for misogyny especially given the issue of missing and murdered women and gender-based violence," Kinew said Thursday.

Gordon accused the Selinger government of toying with double standards, saying they were quick to call for Hall's head but haven't acted on Kinew's past comments.

"The comments that have been made are offensive to the people in Fort Rouge, they're offensive to me and there is no place for it in politics or in society in general.

"I really believe that today the issue is that a double standard has been demonstrated by Mr. Selinger and the NDP government in terms of calling on one party to have their candidate removed while not doing the same for their own."

Gordon finished by laudingthePCs internal, "very thorough andintensive vetting process" that extends to candidates' personal social media accounts.

"It has led to anamazingroster of candidates, 20 of those candidates being women, who are ready to serve the people of Manitoba."

She added Manitoba voters will get their chance to weigh in on Kinew'slyrics and apologywhen they head to the polls April. 19.

"While genuine, unequivocal apologies may open the door to lessons learned and a path to healing, I would like the people of Fort Rouge to listen to Mr.Kinew'slyrics I havebefore they judge the sincerity of his qualified apology,"Gordon said.