Calgary Mayor Nenshi and Calgary MP Rempel in Twitter duel over 'math' comment
Two well known Calgary politicians and avid twitter users have gotten into a public spat over what was taken as a sexist remark.
It all started on Sunday when Conservative MP Michelle Rempel (for the electoral riding of Calgary Nose Hill) and Mayor Naheed Nenshi tweeted back and forth over the impact of a property tax increase on suburban business owners.
I don’t understand why talking about tax rates, at any level of government, is an automatic pearl clutching taboo topic.
— Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 9, 2017
Throwing our hands up &?saying “but but it’s how it is!!” won’t stop businesses from closing their doors and more people losing their jobs.
— Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 9, 2017
The duel continued into Tuesday and escalated when Nenshi told reporters that “she was trying to make hay out of something she doesn’t understand.” He went on to say “I’m happy for her to wade in, I’m happy to have her help – but it’s sort of helpful if she actually knows what she’s talking about.”
Then the reporter asked Nenshi what Rempel was confused about and he replied, “She just didn’t understand what was going on. Apparently math is challenging, but hopefully she’ll figure that out.”
For the record, here is the mayor’s response when asked yesterday about Rempel’s concern on prop tax issue. pic.twitter.com/ielCUkiaQT
— Scott Dippel (@CBCScott) January 11, 2017
That’s when all sh*t hit the fan and the Rempelions and Nenshers went to battle alongside their leaders.
Nenshi apologized for the comment saying,
I’m truly sorry that came off as sexist. I would and have said the same thing to men in political discourse. https://t.co/e71BuxELy3
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) January 11, 2017
But it doesn’t look like Rempel is accepting it as she replied and retweeted with a single ‘lol.’
— Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 11, 2017
The conversation, if you can call it that, went on with people on each side insulting the other, some bringing up past tweets in one’s defence and some fuelling the fire.
.@MichelleRempel @askheryyc a literal 5 second search of @nenshi saying “math is hard”. Both others were directed at men. pic.twitter.com/c3gVKg8WSQ
— Josh White (@joshyyc) January 11, 2017
@nenshi‘s comments towards @MichelleRempel today were despicable, and textbook sexism. He wants women silenced. For shame. https://t.co/xSyb77kzI2
— Trevor Norris (@TNorrisYEG) January 11, 2017
Not sure if this feud is over, but closing remarks seem to have come on Wednesday.
@natashakornak on this we are 100% agreed. But I’m not sure @MichelleRempel, retweeting ppl insulting me, is on that page tonight.
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) January 11, 2017
Cuz “math is hard” is ok and I, and taxpayers, should just take it because ego. https://t.co/fQWHB2rlOA
— Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 11, 2017
Or because actually accepting an apology and not answering a perceived insult with many far worse insults is maybe a sign of judgment v ego? https://t.co/XHP0xZFKnz
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) January 11, 2017
I’m so sorry for not kissing the purple ring on behalf on my constituents who you’re putting out of business. https://t.co/oJODgelvgx
— Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 11, 2017
Yikes.
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