ELECTION 2015: Kamloops Conservative candidate lashes out at local city councillor

KAMLOOPS – In the last week of the federal election campaign, the Kamloops Conservative candidate launched an attack against a local city councillor over a posting to Facebook.

Cathy McLeod says she is appalled Cavers had a post on his Facebook page which included a link to a Vancity Buzz story about a social media campaign called Sluts Against Harper.

The man behind the Intstgram and Tumblr accounts told the Vancouver website he was sending nude photos of both men and women in exchange for a vote against Stephen Harper. The Instagram account is no longer active.

Coun. Donovan Cavers admits he posted the link, which is no longer on his Facebook page.

“I posted on my Facebook page the Sluts Against Harper thing because I thought it was quite interesting the desperation people are feeling and the extent to which people are going to try to get rid of Harper,” he says. “That was the only reason I posted it.”

In her media release, McLeod accuses Cavers of degrading women and diminishing the importance of the election, calling his actions “disgusting.”

“There are young women who look at city councillors as role models and this behaviour is unbecoming of the office,” she says. “

Cavers says by posting the link he was definitely not endorsing it.

“The Conservatives will talk about anything but the issues especially during this last week (of the election campaign),” he says. “I’m sure Cathy McLeod is very happy to be putting out another distraction rather than talking about the actual issues that matter.”

He says the personal attack is not a surprise.

“I’ve been pretty vocal to my opposition to Stephen Harper. Trying to attack my character is not surprising.”

Last week, the one-time Green Party candidate wore a “Heave Steve” t-shirt to a city council meeting, which some of his council peers felt was inappropriate.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.