Bernier team 'can't keep up' with offensive, off-message online content

There's a website address that sounds a lot like Maxime Bernier's but it redirects users to a controversial Redditdiscussion forum. There's a "People's Party of Canada Open Border Caucus"that's cropped up on Facebook again, with no ties to the former Conservative cabinet minister or his new federal party.

Even on Bernier's own Facebook discussion forums, administrators have started to warn users they will take a "strict editorial line" and delete any unwanted comments.

Bernier may be a fan of free speech, butheand his team are finding out that a lot of people are interested in using his name and his party to promote ideas he wants nothing to do with.

"There's all kinds of stuff popping up on the internet. I can't even keep up," said party spokesperson Martin Masse.

Take the website, for example. The official party siteispeoplespartyofcanada.ca. It featuresa smiling picture of Bernier, a rundown of his platform and a pitch for people to sign up as "founding members" to receive a "personalized certificate" signed by the leader.

On the other hand, there's the website www.thepeoplesparty.ca,which redirects users somewhere else entirely to a controversialRedditdiscussion group.

Bernier'sspokesperson was unaware of the situationuntil contacted byCBCNews on Tuesday.

"We have nothing to do with this. We did not even know that this stuff existed," said Masse.

While Bernier has proclaimed the death of political correctness, it's hard to imagine he'd want to be associated with some of the more incendiary or offensive comments in some discussions.

"I don't get all the lesbians/tranniesit baffles me if themuslimstake control you're going to lose every single right you've ever desired, it's heading that way," wrote one user.

Anotherrefers to the prime minister using an anti-gay slur.

In one discussion thread on the Reddit group that cites aCBCstory on Bernier, users debated whether the discussiongroup is too vitriolic. One user said they had heard the group had a bad reputation, but found that not to be the case. Another responded that on any thread involving Muslims you can find "a lot of ugly opinions."

'Open Borders' group latches onto Bernier

"The People's Party of Canada Open Border Caucus" is a particularly curious onlinecreation, given that a much-discussed plank of Bernier's platform involves decreasing immigration back to Harper-era levels. He's also spokenout against the rise in the number ofasylum seekers crossing into Canada on foot, tweeting that anyone who can afford to fly from Nigeria to New York is not a real refugee and should be immediately returned to theU.S. side of the border.

Still, many of Bernier'spolicy positions lean toward Libertarian ideals. He's even considering a takeover or merger withthe Libertarian Party of Canada. Many Libertarians embrace more open borders, preferring less government control of peoples' movements.

The Open Borders group claims to be made up of PPC members who"believe in liberty for all through open borders. We will also push for policy and platform changes that support open borders."

Berniertook to Twitter today to warn his online supporters and rivals alike that he would not let anyone "hijack" his party to turn it into a vehicle for open borders or racist expression.

Masse said he was frustratedby the actions of groups or individualspushing policies in Bernier'sorbit that clearly conflict with his stated goals.

"All kinds of people react to this stuff and think it's us," he said.

"I thinkMaximehas been pretty clear what his ideas are."

The limits of free speech

The problems the People's Party is experiencing in curating its online image extend even to entities created by Bernierhimself. On Tuesday, a notice was posted on the People's Party of Canada's Facebook forums under the heading 'Editorial line'.

It warns that content in the discussion groups can be deleted.

"Freedom of speech has nothing to do with letting everyone write everything everywhere," it says.

Funny memesand public policy debates should be posted elsewhere, it warns. Though there is no explicit reference to racist or offensive content, Bernier recently warned that those comments wouldn't be tolerated and that xenophobia and anti-Semitismhave no place in his new party.

"From now on, we will have a strict editorial line and we will not let anything be published if it is not related to organization," concludes the message, which was signed'the PPC team'.