Harper defends Calgary candidate, blames 'gotcha journalism'

Last Updated: Friday, September 26, 2008 | 1:43 PM ET

CBC News

Calgary Conservative MP Lee Richardson. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

Calls for a Calgary federal election candidate to resign over remarks connecting crime with immigrants are "an extreme example of a non-story being blown up," Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says.

In a campaign stop in his hometown of Calgary on Friday, Harper defended Calgary Centre Conservative Lee Richardson. Rival candidates in Richardson's riding and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion have demanded the incumbent quit or be fired.

"He clarified a comment made before it was even published," said Harper. "I … do think that some of these stories are ridiculous examples of gotcha journalism that have nothing to do with anything that voters care about in this campaign."

Harper added there was no comparison with the case of Winnipeg-area candidate Lesley Hughes, whom Dion asked to step down over comments she made in the past suggesting Israeli companies were given a heads-up ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.

'Not the kid that grew up next door'

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper visits Nose Hill Park in Calgary on Friday. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

In response to a question about recent shootings in the city, Richardson told a reporter for FFWD, a Calgary weekly news and entertainment paper, that Canada has been too soft on crime.

"Particularly in big cities, we've got people that have grown up in a different culture," he said. "And they don't have the same background in terms of the stable communities we had 20, 30 years ago in our cities … and don't have the same respect for authority or people's person or property."

He later added: "Talk to the police. Look at who's committing these crimes. They're not the kid that grew up next door."

In an interview with FFWD the day after the initial interview, Richardson said he regretted his comments, the paper reports.

Richardson did not return calls from CBC News, but issued a statement late Thursday afternoon: "I stand by my retraction. Those who have known me through my long time in public service know that I have always supported immigration, have worked closely with our cultural communities, and have regarded diversity as one of our greatest strengths."

Calls for resignation

Dion joined Calgary candidates from the NDP and Liberal parties Thursday in calling on Richardson to quit or be fired.

Tyler Kinch, the NDP candidate in Calgary Centre, called the remarks disgraceful. Liberal Calgary Centre candidate Heesung Kim, an immigrant from South Korea, referred to the comments as "disturbing."

Richardson was first elected with the Mulroney government in the 1980s before being defeated. He returned to politics when he took Calgary Centre in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006, winning 55 per cent of the vote.

Internal Links

Dion asks Liberal candidate to step down over 9/11 comments
Conservative should resign over immigrant comments, say opponents
Canada Votes 2008: Calgary Centre

Overall Results

Overall Election Results
Party	Elected	Leading	Total	Vote Share (%)
Updated: Nov. 7, 2008, 5:00 PM EST
CON	143	0	143	37.63
LIB	77	0	77	26.24
BQ	49	0	49	9.97
NDP	37	0	37	18.20
IND	2	0	2	0.65
GRN	0	0	0	6.80
OTH	0	0	0	0.51

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Unofficial results were updated at the time shown following judicial recounts in six ridings. For more recent results, visit Elections Canada. The CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites. External links will open in a new window.

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