From Thomas Lukaszuk's Facebook page:
"Fairmont in Hot Springs has a good deal on rooms today. If a little bit of mud doesn't bother you, book now!!!"
Totally tactless but when one looks at the record of our deputy premier it should not be unexpected, but I am sure the 600 people that were trapped in Fairmont do appreciate the humour.
NOT!
Stay classy Deputy Premier; you are supposed to be representing all of us.
Related:
2 dead and 2 still missing in BC mudslide.
Update/mea culpa : It has been pointed out in the comments that my title may have been misleading, and I can see how that may be true; Lukaszuk was making a joke about Fairmont and not Johnsons Landing, not that it makes the joke anymore acceptable, and I should have been more clear.
Making fun of tragedy is NEVER funny.
Afternoon update
The Premiers office responds: "The Facebook post in question has been removed," according to the premier's office. "There was no disrespect whatsoever intended and the deputy premier doesn't find the risk of human life or the tragedy that's going on there a joking matter."
Lukaszuk's Twitter apology: "Sorry for my FB post. I'm out of Canada and was not aware of the scope of the situation in BC. I removed the post.
Good on him for the apology but I am having some trouble with his explanation (why is there always an explanation and not just a straight forward "I'm sorry"?) as his claim that he was not aware of the scope of the situation sort of rings untrue when you consider that the picture he used for his Facebook post was taken from a CBC news article on the mudslide.
Oh well, at least we got the apology out of him. It is a start.
More related links:
http://www.openfile.ca/calgary/blog/2012/deputy-premier-cracks-mudslide-joke-facebook-then-removes-it
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Lukaszuk+apologizes+Facebook+post+about+landslides/6948486/story.html?cid=dlvr.it-twitter-ej_politics
http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/300943/deputy-premier-thomas-lukaszuk-takes-heat-for-b-c-landslide-jokes-on-facebook/
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/deputy+premier+under+fire+for+controversial+facebook+post/6442680953/story.html
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/now+trending+lukaszuks+facebook+comment+sparks+criticism/6442680951/story.html
http://bigcitylib.blogspot.ca/2012/07/landslide-jokes-like-jokes-about.html (you know it has been a crazy day when BCL links to a Blogging Tory! BTW: Thanks BCL for the http://www.nationalnewswatch.com
link.
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/020777.html
16 comments:
To be fair, that was not the slide that killed the four people. Johnson's Landing is on Kootenay Lake, which is the next valley westward from Fairmont (which is in the Rocky Mountain Trench). However, our Deputy Premier did not exhibit any class; are we surprised?
You owe me, dude, I got you on national newswatch.
I agree that this isn't something a politician should be joking about. The title of this post is a bit misleading. The slide that killed two, plus two are missing is not the same slide that occurred in Fairmont. They are in two different areas in BC.
Fair point on the Fairmont vs Johnsons Landing slides. Neither though should be the subject of jokes from Lukaszuk.
BCL: I guess a thank you is in order!
The fairmount slide, though, was serious business for those who were trapped by it (now set free, thank goodness).
Umm...this looks like a fake account.
It is the real deal.
The Deputy Premier should be more concerned that these landslides illustrate why the Northern Gateway pipeline which is planned to be built in similarly unstable terrain is not a good risk environmentally.
The Facebook post has been deleted. Will update the post later.
I met Mr. Lucaszuk once at a fundraiser. He was so obnoxious that my wife and I thought he was drunk at first. Sadly he was not.
Bourassa, you ignorant Frog, the Northern Gateway pipeline is scheduled to be built hundreds of miles further north; not in the same terrain at all.
In any case, pipelines have valves in them, so in the event of such a natural disaster, the affected section can be isolated, limiting the size of the spill.
You is officially famous. You might owe me a beer:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Lukaszuk%2Bapologizes%2BFacebook%2Bpost%2Babout%2Blandslides/6948486/story.html?cid=dlvr.it-twitter-ej_politics
" To be fair, that was not the slide that killed the four people"
" They are in two different areas in BC"
I'm having a barbecue in Mississauga tonight,everyone's invited,free burgers and shooters.
The good news is that this numbskull could very well be the gift that keeps on giving
Typical clueless and heartless Conservative mindset.
Guess Jason Kenney was right. He is an asshole.
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