PPC denies racist allegation

Photo: Contributed

Daniel Joseph

The new president of the Kelowna-Lake Country Peoples Party of Canada riding association denies allegations of racist and homophobic views levelled against the party by his predecessor.

Daniel Joseph quit the party and his position last week, claiming people in positions of authority had "utterly hateful ... racist, homophobic and xenophobic views."

"I no longer feel like there is a place for me in this party," he said in a Facebook video posted Friday.

His successor, Peter Neville, says he has neither seen nor heard any evidence of such behaviour at either the local or national level.

"I was present when Daniel Joseph was elected president of our association. I voted for him myself. I guess we didn't notice the colour of his skin. How very careless of us!" Neville said in an email to Castanet.

He reiterated that opinion in a phone call, saying there is no truth to the allegations and ".... it was kind of obvious that he's black ... It seems to me that gives the lie to the idea that we are racist, sexist or homophobic.

"Frankly, I think it's nonsense."

Neville says he actually took over as president two weeks ago, prior to Jospeh's public resignation.

He said Joseph wanted to manage the electoral district association in a different direction and had become secretive about his motives and wouldn't return calls.

"I believe there was something more behind this," he said.

The party continues to work towards this fall's federal election and will hold a nomination meeting later this spring, Neville added.