Posted on 04/10/2009 7:54:31 AM PDT by Loyalist
NDP candidate Lenore Zann says she was disappointed but not surprised to learn a Liberal campaign worker leaked a nude photo of her to the media.
The photo of a topless Ms. Zann, an actor, was from an episode of the lesbian drama The L-Word she filmed in Vancouver in 2007.
"Everybody warned me before that politics is dirty, that if they can’t find something on you, they will make something up, that smear campaigns are quite the norm, which I think is really, really a shame for our democracy," she said in a phone interview from New York on Thursday.
She was there auditioning for an episode of Law & Order.
Ms. Zann, who will be officially nominated Tuesday as the NDP candidate in Truro-Bible Hill, said Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil phoned Thursday to apologize. She accepted.
"He said he was extremely sorry about what had happened and he said he would like to meet with me in person sometime and offer me an apology. So, I said, when I am elected as an MLA and I am in the legislature, we can have that conversation," she said, chuckling.
Ms. Zann, who grew up in Truro, is concerned this kind of incident will discourage others, particularly women, from running for public office.
Meanwhile, the Liberal leader tried to distance himself from the controversy, saying the actions of the Liberal organizer, whom he refused to identify, were unauthorized and unacceptable. However, he said, that person will not be let go because people make mistakes and deserve second chances.
The Liberal leader said he held a campaign meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to make it clear the party’s campaign was to be positive.
"They all understand that the behaviour of yesterday will not be tolerated by me as leader of this party and it does not reflect who I am as a person and the values that I brought to public life or to those of . . . the community of Annapolis County," he told reporters at the Liberal caucus office in Halifax.
His comments and tone differed from a statement released Wednesday evening to CBC television from Liberal spokeswoman Glennie Langille, who said the image of Ms. Zann was a "part of the public record."
NDP Leader Darrell Dexter said the Liberal caucus realized the gravity of the mistake by Thursday.
"You should see the email I have received on this," he said. "It is profound and it is outraged. Some of them were obviously from people in the arts community, but many of them were from people who identified themselves, and this is a quote from at least one of the emails that said "formerly supporter of the Liberal party.’ "
Mr. Dexter said the release of the image was an attack, not only on a talented and respected actor but also on the arts community and the town of Truro.
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) also issued a news release Thursday condemning the Liberal worker’s actions.
"This is a blatant sexist, personal attack on a worker and one of our members,"" Richard Hard-acre, ACTRA national president, said in the release.
""We are alarmed that someone would exploit an individual’s professional performance in an attempt to smear their character for political gain.
"This smacks of censorship and dirty politics."
guilty, with special circumstance of being a moonbat.
Meh.
Thumbs down.
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