KENORA, Ont. – A Kenora NDP hopeful says he’s been told by party officials he’s been disqualified from the nomination process because of past content on his social media feed.
Matt Soprovich, a staffer with outgoing NDP MPP Sarah Campbell, acknowledged three social media posts in particular seemed to have upset party brass, adding the offending content includes a picture that shows his bare bottom.
Another Instagram post depicts him ripping off his shirt a la Hulk Hogan and then on New Year’s Day, 2013 he posted about being so hung over he fell back asleep and had a dream about being hung over.
“It would appear that five years ago I enjoyed New Year's Eve so much that I drank excessively and as a result experienced a hangover so awful that I would still be paying for it over half a decade later,” Soprovich said in a release issued on Tuesday.
He added the news came as a complete surprise.
“Party officials in Toronto have rejected my application for candidacy, without consultation, question or any legitimate right of appeal. I've been declined. Denied. Disqualified,” he said.
“There has been no regard for the level of support I've received from members in this riding – one which has been faithful to the provincial NDP for decades. Not even a thanks for coming, better luck next time.
Soprovich said it’s his own fault.
“I understand the world that we live in, where any ill timed or unfortunate photo from college can be dredged up at a moment's notice. Whether this should be considered fair or not is moot. This is what I signed up for. I did not take the time to scrub and hide the social media past of my youth as extensively as I should have, and I have no one to blame for that but myself,” he said.
Soprovich said none of the posts questioned by NDP leadership was adverse to or critical of NDP policy, its leaders or values, or demeaning to people in any way.