Candidate's racy Facebook photos showed 'lack of judgment': B.C. NDP leader
Last Updated: Monday, April 20, 2009 | 2:25 PM PT
CBC News
B.C. NDP candidate Ray Lam resigned after 'inappropriate' photos on his private Facebook page became public. (Facebook) B.C. NDP Leader Carole James says the party's former candidate for Vancouver-False Creek showed a "lack of judgment" over pictures displayed on his Facebook page.
Ray Lam resigned on Sunday over the photographs, one of which showed him palming a woman's breast and another with his pants down and two people pulling at his underwear.
"Ray felt that they were inappropriate. Certainly it shows a lack of judgment, and he made the decision to step down," James said on Monday. "He didn't want it to distract from the campaign, so we are moving on."
James said candidates had been warned something like this could happen, saying even though the pictures were posted on a private page, "once you become a public figure, everything is public."
"I saw the pictures on TV. I thought they showed a lack of judgment. It's his age, you know, we all recognize that, but when you're in politics and you are going to be a public figure, it's important that you recognize that," she said.
NDP responsible, Campbell says
B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell said the B.C. NDP has to take responsibility for the appearance of the images online.
"This was public information. It was on the NDP website and they have some responsibilities in terms of that. … They were totally inappropriate pictures and the NDP has some questions to answer for," he said Monday while campaigning near Vancouver.
The B.C. NDP needs to take responsiblity for racy images of former candidate Ray Lam that were posted on a Facebook page, according to B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell. (Facebook) Lam should have realized pictures from his private life, if posted online as part of his Facebook profile, would become part of the public record, Campbell said, adding Liberal candidates undergo a strict vetting process that includes online checks.
Campbell himself is no stranger to the troubles the private lives of politicians can cause their public careers.
In 2003 he fended off demands from the B.C. NDP to resign after he was arrested while on vacation in Hawaii and pleaded guilty to several charges related to driving while impaired.
The NDP has until Friday at noon to nominate a replacement and get the necessary papers to Elections BC in order to have a candidate included on the ballot for the May 12 provincial election.
