VANCOUVER -- When Bowinn Ma saw video of a fellow MLA making "sexist" comments about her, she says her immediate thought was how it would impact women and girls who want to hold public office.

The remarks about the NDP incumbent in North Vancouver-Lonsdale were recorded during a roast for retiring BC Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan, and drew widespread backlash on social media over the weekend.

“As a women who has worked in male-dominated industries, I am not a stranger to casual sexism,” said Ma. “Young women deserve a province that encourages them to take on leadership roles without fear of sexism.”

In the video, the Liberal MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour, Jane Thornthwaite, describes what she said was Ma’s interaction with the much older Sultan at a youth event, calling her a “very pretty lady” and saying “she knows that she’s got it, and she knows how to get Ralph going.”

In telling a story about how Sultan would criticize Ma’s policies to colleagues behind closed doors and respond differently to her in person, Thornthwaite said in the roast video: “Both Bowinn Ma and Ralph were stuck on the couch together, very, very close together for almost the entire time,” which elicited a groan from Sultan. “Ralph would be sitting in the middle of the couch, and Bowinn would be right up, right next to him, cuddling, cuddling, cuddling, a little bit of cleavage there. And Ralph would be enthralled with her.”

Several Liberal candidates participated in the roast and were in the video, including leader Andrew Wilkinson.

“The video of B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson watching on as a multi-term BC Liberal North Shore MLA sexualized my interactions with another multi-term B.C. Liberal North Shore MLA is a deeply uncomfortable characterization of my efforts to extend kindness across party lines,” said Ma who suggested Sultan is hard of hearing.

“I think Andrew Wilkinson has a lot to answer for in terms of what he feels is acceptable within his caucus, and I question whether a man who is unable to set the tone of his political party in terms of his respect for women is able to set a tone for British Columbians.”

The NDP leader also put the blame at Wilkinson’s feet. “It’s not OK to joke about sexism,” said John Horgan. “It’s appropriate for leaders to step up and call that kind of behaviour out, and I certainly hope I would have done that in the same circumstance.”

Horgan says women across Canada who’ve seen the video are rallying behind Ma, adding “this video, this blatant sexist that was allowed to pass is a teachable moment for all of us.”

University of the Fraser Valley professor Hamish Telford said the comments could hurt Thornthwaite in what would normally be considered the safe Liberal seat of North Vancouver-Seymour.

“I think in the minds of Liberal voters, this will be straight up partisan politics. But in the minds of voters who are not partisan-aligned, I think it’s problematic,” said Telford, who also thinks it hurts Wilkinson because he was in the video as well.

“He’s culpable of not intervening and saying hey, that’s inappropriate language and so forth. I can understand in the moment you never quite know what to do in these things. I think more problematic is being slow to respond after the fact.”

Wilkinson posted an apology to Twitter, but his media team turned down CTV News's request for an interview on both Sunday and Monday. After initially only tweeting that she has respect for women like Ma who push through glass ceilings, Thornthwaite later apologized for the comments on social media and she said she has reached out to Ma.

“I did see on my phone that I had missed (a call) from Jane Thornthwaite as well as a text to check my voicemail,” said Ma. “I think British Columbians will forgive me for not quite being ready to check that voicemail and not quite being ready to call Jane back at this point. No other BC Liberals have reached out to me.”

While Ma said she appreciates the apologies from Thornthwaite and Wilkinson, she added “It’s not me that the BC Liberals need to be apologizing to. They need to explain themselves to British Columbians, and apologizing to the women and girls that they’ve harmed by allowing this kind of behaviour to continue in a major political party that is vying to lead this province.”