Reporter Resigns Over Story Alleging Conservative Called Rival an ‘NDP Whore’

Screenshot via YouTube

A reporter from a Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan newspaper has resigned after the paper refused to publish her story about a Conservative MP allegedly making a sexist remark about a local female politician.

Mickey Djuric, formerly of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, published a blog post today called “My resignation” which detailed a meeting with editorial staff at the publication where they decided not to publish a story about Tom Lukiwski, the MP for Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, allegedly calling a politician an “NDP whore.”

The blog has a video of an interaction between Lukiwski and a group of supporters talking about the Liberal’s majority win in October. Lukiwski makes the alleged comments about a local politician who will be facing off against a campaign supporter and colleague of his in the upcoming provincial election.

“I know this is a federal election, but in a few short months, there will be a provincial election,” Lukiwski says, noting that he will be standing behind Saskatchewan Party candidate Greg Lawrence during his upcoming run. “We gotta get Greg back. He’s too important of an MLA to let go down to an NDP [whore or horde] just because of a bad boundary.”

Lukiwski has told CBC News that he said “horde,” not “whore.”

“I did not say ‘whore’,” Lukiwski told CBC News. “I said ‘horde,’ as in NDP gang.”

Lukiwski has a long history of shitty remarks, which certainly didn’t help him in this case. In a 1991 video, Lukiwski went on a rant where he called homosexuals “faggots” that “transmit diseases.”

Djuric told VICE that the Times-Heraldheld back her article because they feared a “negative response,” from both the public and from Lukiwski.

“They felt 9 out of 10 people would hear ‘whore,’” she said, adding that the editorial team believed “whore” would not be received well publicly. She also said that, when she spoke to Lukiwski directly, there was a discrepancy in his explanation.

According to Djuric, Lukiwski said to her that he meant “hordes.” When Djuric challenged him, noting that he used the phrasing “an NDP,” which is singular and not plural, he became frustrated and couldn’t justify his position.

On why she resigned, Djuric said that she did out of public interest, noting that “the public [would] end up seeing the video anyway.”

In a letter that was provided to VICE, written to Conservative Party interim leader Rona Ambrose, Saskatchewan NDP leader Cam Broten has asked Lukiwski to resign following the remarks.

“This an absolutely disgusting attack on women in politics,” Broten wrote. “It is my hope you will take this issue seriously, demonstrate that it is completely unacceptable, and remove Mr. Lukiwski from the Conservative caucus.”

Times-Herald managing editor Greg Slater told VICE that the paper’s editorial team would be meeting shortly about how to respond to the situation, but could not provide immediate comment as to why the story was not published.

Lawrence, the candidate who Lukiwski is defending, also told the Regina Leader-Post that Lukiwski meant to say “horde,” not “whore.”

“I’m a parliamentarian, so I don’t use language like that, and I don’t expect Tom would either,” Lawrence told the Leader-Post.

It’s unclear what opposing politician Lukiwski is referring to, although it should be noted that Karen Purdy of the Saskatchewan NDP would be Lawrence’s opponent.

Djuric says that the Times-Herald was originally going to publish her article detailing this interaction, but changed their mind at the last minute, thus prompting her resignation.

“Our entire editorial staff at the MJTH was instructed not to release nor discuss the video. Following their mandate would lead to me compromising my values, ethics and morals as a journalist,” she wrote. “Unmistakably, no one has the right to deprive me of the freedom of my strong values, ethics and morals as a citizen of this great country.”

“I humbly and respectfully maintain that the wonderful citizens of Moose Jaw and this riding deserve better; no censorship, no deceit.”

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