B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson walks back criticized "tough marriage" comment about domestic violence

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      B.C. Liberal Party leader Andrew Wilkinson distanced himself without apologizing Wednesday from a comment he made to media that appeared to trivialize domestic violence.

      During a Wednesday morning interview with Red FM radio show host Harjinder Thind, Wilkinson, when asked about Tuesday's throne speech, said: "They talked about guns in hospitals, which nobody has ever heard of, they talked about rural policing, they talk about five days' pay for people who are in a tough marriage, and that's it."

      The statement appeared to be referring to Premier John Horgan's promise to give working people fleeing violence at home up to five days of paid leave.

      After critical Twitter posts took him to task for his comment—including one from the Ending Violence Association of B.C. and another from the B.C. NDP MLA Mitzi Dean, who is the parliamentary secretary for gender equity—Wilkinson told reporters Wednesday at the legislature: "Well, that's one small aspect of the whole spectrum of domestic violence, and I should have mentioned that."

      Later, Wilkinson posted a tweet that said he made a "wrong choice of words".

      Horgan, when asked to comment on Wilkinson's interview, said: “I can’t imagine a man in 2020 saying that, thinking that, much less actually articulating it.”

      Horgan's government last year preceded the five-days'-pay promise by guaranteeing working victims of domestic violence 10 days unpaid leave without losing employment.

       

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