Conservatives spike Facebook comments Critical Of China Deal
Conservative staff members deleted comments critical of the Canada-China investment deal [FIPPA] that were posted on the party’s Facebook page.
Angry notes about the controversial Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) were among more than 100 Facebook comments purged from the party’s page in less than a week, a Citizen analysis found.
The deal with China has caused some internal dissent within the party, with some arguing it is unbalanced and concedes too much to the Asian superpower. The agreement was ratified by the Conservative government last week, with little fanfare.
“You sold us out to China, you will be remembered by Canadians and this treaty if passed will come up at every federal election for the next 30 years, you have made us a serfdom, time for the Cons to retire,” wrote Facebook user Paula Moffatt, before administrators deleted her remarks from a page with a photo of the prime minister.
“This man is a traitor and an agent for communist China. and you treat him like he’s the Lord of Glory. you poor blind fools,” wrote Wayne Anderson before his comments were scrubbed.
“I never thought I’d see the day when My own country would sneak a deal like this behind the Canadian peoples back,” wrote Levi Orr in a comment later removed. “No loyalty to her people none at all, border line treason and don’t you dare tell me different, this country should look out for each other and watch each other’s backs, LOYALTY”
“Stephen Harper is a good man, too bad he sold us all out to the Chinese,” Adam Shepherd commented. “Why isn’t bragging about that on here? Oh ya because he did it sneakily behind the whole country’s back … can’t wait to pay the bills when China sues us for doing something in our country that offends them … now thats quality leadership!!”
The Citizen used a customized computer program to extract all comments posted on the Conservative Party of Canada’s Facebook page, every 30 minutes, and check which ones were deleted.
The numerous deletions suggest that the party is uneasy with dissent in the open forum of its Facebook page, where anyone with an account can post a remark, at least temporarily.
“We’re pleased that so many Canadians follow and comment on the Facebook posts, and for the most part the comments are courteous, respectful, factual and on topic. However, there are times when they are not, so they are removed,” said Conservative party spokesman Cory Hann in an email.
While some of the deleted comments were obscene, abusive or just plain wacky – like the numerous 9/11 conspiracy theories advanced in comments on a post marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. – some were merely critical of Harper’s performance.
“He is the worst Prime Minister we have ever had. Get OUT of this country,” Dave Clancy commented on Tuesday of this week, before the message was killed.
Administrators also seemed adverse to critical commentary on the environment. They deleted a comment from a user who said the Tories were “threatening our rivers lakes and farm soils with toxins from mining and dilbit. At least Germany protects it’s BEER!”
Beneath a photo of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq and the caption “The Arctic is Our Home,” one user commented, “Then why are you trying to destroy it by drilling for oil and melting the ice through climate change?” That comment was also purged.
Another remarked, “How many communication officers did it take to approve this sentence?”
gmcgregor@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/glen_mcgregor
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