Conservative riding association posts fake meme of Rick Mercer endorsing party

A Facebook post by a Conservative ridingassociationin British Columbia spreading disinformation about Canadian comedian Rick Mercer has been removed.

The meme took an authentic Mercer quote about the importance of voting, but changed the final part of the quote from "Vote" to "Vote Conservative."

If the intent of the postwas to trick people into believingMercer was rooting for the party's candidate in Burnaby NorthSeymour, it might have worked on some voters. But if the goal was to make Mercer laugh, it definitely worked.

"It's completely bizarre," he told CBC News on Tuesday evening. "I'm not angry. I was more amused than anything."

Mercer took to Twitter to ask the party to remove the post. As of Tuesday evening, it was no longer showing on the Burnaby North Seymour Conservative Constituency Association page.

Before it was deleted, the caption on the postsaid "wise words."

Mercer said he was alerted to it by some friends and other people on social media who spotted the dishonesty in the quote.

"I was always careful not to say, you know, which party you should vote for. I would never do that," Mercer said in an interview. "It's weird that people will think in this day and age that you can get away with that."

In a federal campaign where people have gotten in trouble for far more controversial social media posts, Mercer said he's not upset about it and he doesn't expect a response from Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, or anyone else for that matter.

I don't know what I'd be doing weighing into the local politics in Burnaby.- Rick Mercer

He's just left scratching his head about who thought it would be a good idea to manipulate his quote.

"There's a lot of very odd people running in this election for all the parties. I mean that's what you've gotta ask yourself, like what kind of person does that? It's just a very strange thing to do."

It's especially strange given the fact he's fromSt. John's, on theopposite end of the country.

"I don't know what I'd be doing weighing into the local politics in Burnaby, British Columbia."

Heather Leung is the Conservative candidate for the riding. She's going up against Liberal Terry Beech, the Green Party's Amita Kuttner, New Democrat Svend Robinson and People's Party of Canada candidate Rocky Dong.

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