FILE PHOTO - The B.C. election campaign begins as Premier Christy Clark arrives at Government House to meet with Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
May 03, 2017 - 1:38 PM
KELOWNA - British Columbia's Liberals say they "stand corrected" on claims the NDP planted a woman at an election campaign event to confront Christy Clark.
The brief encounter last week between the woman and Clark has generated a buzz on social media as the hashtag #IamLinda became a rallying point on Twitter for people who oppose the B.C. Liberal government.
When asked Wednesday, May 3, if they believe the woman was an NDP plant, the Liberals issued a short statement that says: "We're happy to stand corrected."
A video posted online last week shows Clark in a North Vancouver market shaking hands with a woman who introduces herself as Linda and says she would never vote for the premier and begins to explain why.
Clark then cuts her off.
"You don't have to. That's why we live in a democracy," Clark says before walking away.
"Thanks goodness. Hopefully you won't get elected in," the woman calls after her.
Two people connected to Clark's campaign later accused the woman of being a New Democrat plant and tweeted a picture of her with Nicholas Simons, a New Democrat member of the legislative assembly for Powell River-Sunshine Coast.
The Clark encounter went viral and has been shared or retweeted thousands of times on social media. The hashtag had been used more than 34,500 times on Twitter by Wednesday at midday.
In its statement, the Liberals say: "As the premier said, we are fortunate to live in a democracy where we are able to respectfully disagree with each other."
Clark said she didn't know the answer when asked earlier this week what evidence workers on her campaign had for claiming the woman was an NDP operative.
"You'll have to speak to the people who tweeted that out," she added.
Voters go to the polls in British Columbia on Tuesday.
— Follow @gwomand on Twitter
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017