OTTAWA — The NDP says a campaign email that described Ottawa–Vanier candidate Stéphanie Mercier as a “somewhat naive” woman with a “gorgeous smile” should have never been sent.
“We do understand how it was inappropriate and how it is upsetting,” Mercier’s campaign manager Tiyana Maharaj told HuffPost Canada. “Stéphanie understands firsthand the sexism that women are faced with.”
An email with the subject line, “A word from Andrew,” went out to supporters Monday, praising the law student’s performance at a recent all-candidates debate.
“Dear friend,” the email begins. “Did you realize that Stephanie Mercier is a real treasure? I did not until attending the debate in Rockcliffe Park.”
The author continued to praise the NDP candidate and wrote, “True, she sometimes appears to be somewhat naive, politically. And yet this makes her even more attractive.”
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The email wasn’t approved by Mercier nor her campaign manager, who called the message a mistake.
Maharaj described Andrew as an “older gentleman” and a longtime member of the Ottawa–Vanier NDP — a casual volunteer who usually brings around food and coffee for the campaign team.
“This inappropriate email was sent by a volunteer without sufficient oversight. We’ve implemented a new process to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Mercier explained in a tweet.
The former nurse, who worked at Montfort Hospital and Overdose Prevention Ottawa, is up against a full slate of nine other candidates including Liberal incumbent Mona Fortier.
Ottawa–Vanier is a historic Liberal stronghold formerly held by the late Mauril Bélanger for more than 20 years. Residents in the riding have voted to elect Liberals in every election since the riding was created in 1933.
Fortier won the seat in a 2017 byelection that was triggered following Bélanger’s death.
Mercier is one of 166 female candidates representing the NDP in this year’s election, putting it closer to gender parity than any other major federal party with 49 per cent women.