A Vancouver Island candidate for the BC Conservative Party has pulled out of the provincial election race after facing criticism over social media posts.
Damon Scrase, the party’s candidate for Courtenay-Comox, issued a statement Tuesday saying he was stepping aside to avoid becoming a distraction.
The resignation came days before he was slated to attend a town hall with party leader John Rustad.
“Like many of us I have made posts on social media years ago that make me wince, which don’t reflect what I think or who I am today,” Scrace posted on social media platform X.
“I do not want my old, unfortunate comments to distract from the important work currently being done to fix our incredible province.”
The resignation came hours after CKNW host Jas Johal posted a thread of online comments Scrase wrote in 2022 and 2023.
One post from last year claimed that “the most common gay fetish is seducing straight people,” while another claimed Pride “has become a celebration of fringe sexuality” where “perverts expose themselves to children for kicks.”
Another calls some Pride participants “degenerates,” while another post criticized public support for abortion stating “nothing animates the unwashed masses more than killing unborn children.”
Asked about the latter comment on May 14, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad responded that “people are allowed to have their own opinions.”
Global News is seeking comment from the party on Scrase’s resignation.
In March, the BC Conservatives announced, then dropped, candidate Stephen Malthouse within hours after backlash over his controversial comments and alleged behaviour regarding COVID-19.
Malthouse, a family physician, had his licence to practice medicine in B.C. suspended amid an investigation on allegations he signed vaccine and mask exemptions “that he knew included false statements … and used his status as a registrant of the College to attempt to circumvent public health orders.”
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