Green candidate in city riding pulls out after tweets
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/09/2019 (2231 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Federal Green party candidate Kevin Nichols has stepped down from the race for Winnipeg’s Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley riding blaming heath issues, not the conspiracy theory-linked posts on his Facebook page.
“It is with deep regret that I have to withdraw my candidacy for the area,” Nichols said in a selfie video posted Monday to his Instagram account.
“I recently experienced some rather bad health news, and I’m going to be taking time off to make sure I look after myself.”
During an interview Wednesday, Nichols said he has been battling Crohn’s disease for three decades, and is now fighting another unrelated illness. The Green Party of Canada said Nichols sent it a statement saying both his kidneys have been failing since January.
“I made the decision to step down on the weekend — it’s totally due to my health,” Nichols said. “I love running. I would love to represent the people, but the provincial election almost killed me. It’s not worth dying over.”
He finished fourth in voting in the Roblin ward in the 2019 Manitoba election this month.
Nichols said he believes his Facebook site has either been hacked or some things have been added by others who had access to it in the past during earlier election runs.
He did admit, because “I like to look,” he has researched anti-vaccination and 9/11 terror attacks conspiracy sites but, “unless I can say for certain, I keep my mouth shut.”
He is no longer a candidate. (As of yesterday.) https://t.co/X7U3HnqB1M
— Elizabeth May (@ElizabethMay) September 18, 2019
The withdrawal follows a series of Twitter posts by Bill Tieleman, a B.C. political strategist and commentator who has worked for the NDP in that province. The posts, dated Sept. 15, show screenshots of past Facebook posts that appear to be from Nichols’ account.
One screenshot, dated January 2017, shows a posted article titled: “9/11 Entire Pentagon Footage with missile impact never shown to public – Anonymous.”
“Does the federal Green party believe that 9/11 was ‘an inside job’?” wrote Tieleman in the tweet that accompanies the screenshot.
Does the federal Green Party believe that 9-11 was “an inside job”? #Winnipeg Green candidate Kevin Nichols sure does! Do voters in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingly agree? Or Elizabeth May? #Cdnpoli #MBpoli #NDP #GPC #LPC #CPC pic.twitter.com/XI1EBk8hE9
— BillTieleman (@BillTieleman) September 16, 2019
And does Green Party believe “98 million Americans were given cancer virus”? Says the CDC? #Winnipeg Green candidate Kevin Nichols has crazy views! Do voters agree? Or Elizabeth May? #Cdnpoli #MBpoli #NDP #GPC #LPC #CPC pic.twitter.com/n7raU1sycR
— BillTieleman (@BillTieleman) September 16, 2019
“#Winnipeg Green candidate Kevin Nichols has crazy views!” wrote Tieleman. “Do voters agree? Or Elizabeth May?”
Another tweet from Tieleman appears to show Nichols, in 2016, shared a Facebook post that promoted a conspiracy theory about fluoride.
Oh boy! Green Party #Winnipeg candidate Kevin Nichols wondered “Why was fluoride in Nazi prison camp water?” Hmm. To fight cavities? Yikes! #Cdnpoli #MBPoli #NDP @GPC #LPC #CPC pic.twitter.com/QjcBQEREKo
— BillTieleman (@BillTieleman) September 16, 2019
Nichols’ biography was listed on the federal Green party website as late as Tuesday, according to an archived version of the website. By Wednesday, his information had been scrubbed.
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley is currently held by Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson.
Nichols placed fourth out of four candidates when he ran there for the Greens in the 2015 federal election, winning 2.9 per cent of the vote.
solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @sol_israel
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @KevinRollason
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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History
Updated on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 2:31 PM CDT: Updated
Updated on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 5:03 PM CDT: Final writethru
Updated on Thursday, September 19, 2019 5:24 PM CDT: Byline added.