BC Liberal leadership candidate not backing down on 'token diversity' comment

Vancouver -

A BC Liberal leadership candidate who commented on so-called "token diversity" in the NDP isn't backing down, despite being criticized for minimizing the impact of people of colour in politics.

At a weekend event where all hopefuls had a chance to address Liberal party members, Renee Merrifield made the case for becoming leader and the need for more diversity in the party. She also took aim at the NDP.

"They still have five – and no offence to anyone in the room – middle-aged white dudes controlling their entire party," she said. "They have a photograph of diversity, they have token diversity, but they don't have it real."

A snippet containing those comments, clipped from a larger speech, was put out on social media, where several NDP MLAs including Niki Sharma spoke out against what Merrifield said.

"I was shocked and upset," Sharma told CTV News. "I felt like her comments were really demeaning and kind of erased all of the work that all of us do in the caucus that are diverse as just tokens."

Others agreed, including a former Liberal MLA.

Jas Johal called Merrifield's comments absurd. In a Twitter thread, he urged Merrified to educate herself on "the BIPOC journey in this province."

Merrifield insists her comments were not taken in context.

"I never want diversity to be token. So I regret so much that it was understood that way," she said in an interview with CTV News.

Asked several times how her words were misconstrued, considering she used the phase "they have token diversity," Merrified went on to insist she is a champion of diversity.

"The attack on what I said and how I said it, was there an attack on every single other person?" she said. "There wasn't. You know, I question: OK, so is that because I'm the female?"

Sharma thinks Merrifield needs to apologize.

"Diversity and political parties is hard work. You have to make connections to community, you have to inspire people to run, you have to share values with different communities. And what I see in my NDP caucus is a lot of diversity," said Sharma.

In his thread, Johal also took the Liberals to task, writing in part, "diversity is a tactical exercise for BC liberals, not one that is core to its values."

Merrifield said that's the culture she wants to change.

"I'm a champion of diversity, champion of different races, ethnicities, my friendship groups, my, you know, who I've surrounded myself with, who I've served with in terms of boards who I have, you know, built companies around, and my life's work," she said. "Do I apologize for, you know, a word that is taken out of context and if it was understood in that way? Absolutely."

Merrifield isn't considered a front-runner in the Liberal leadership race, so this controversy likely won't change the outcome. But the controversy could hurt the Liberals with other voters, which is something the NDP likely know.