NDP candidate Amna Shah says Doerkson used different standards for two discrimination cases
Shah, the BC NDP candidate for Surrey City Centre, says Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson quickly removed a candidate over racist posts but has not acted after his campaign director's anti-Islam posts came to light.
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Amna Shah, the BC NDP candidate for Surrey City Centre, issued a statement on October 11 saying Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson handled two discrimination cases inside his party by different standards. Indo-Canadian Voice reported the statement Sunday afternoon.
Shah said that when candidate Joachim Agou posted racist content on social media, Doerkson removed him from the party quickly and said "There is no excuse for this. I will not tolerate it." But after BC Conservative campaign director Katy Merrifield's anti-Islam social media posts came to light, Doerkson was "silent for more than 48 hours," Shah said in her statement.
What the posts said
The National Council of Canadian Muslims had issued a statement on Saturday, October 10, characterizing Merrifield's posts as showing "a pattern of Islamophobic views," according to the Indo-Canadian Voice article.
The article lists specific posts attributed to Merrifield. On June 17, 2026, Merrifield posted: "f*ck Islam. Defend Western civilization... expel this abhorrent ideology and everyone who defends it." On June 19, 2026, she shared a post saying "Islam is a literal rape culture." On September 11, 2026, she shared content blaming Islam as a whole for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Shah's claim about the contrast
Shah said the difference in Doerkson's response to the two cases was deliberate. "It was easy to remove his candidate in a seat where the Conservatives never win, but now he is unwilling or unable to remove his top advisor," Shah said in her statement.
Shah said she is "deeply disappointed" that her Conservative opponent for Surrey City Centre, Zeeshan Wahla, chose to defend Merrifield rather than call for her removal.
"If Lorne Doerkson is unwilling or unable to act decisively on hate against one group of British Columbians, then he can't be counted to defend any community," Shah said.
The Indo-Canadian Voice article does not include a response from Doerkson, Merrifield, or Wahla.
Amna Shah and Zeeshan Wahla are running for Surrey City Centre on October 24. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21 at locations listed on the Elections BC website. Voters can review both candidates' information at /bc/provincial-2026/news.
Questions this story answers
What did Amna Shah say about Lorne Doerkson?
Shah, the BC NDP candidate for Surrey City Centre, said Doerkson used different standards in two cases. When Joachim Agou, a Conservative candidate, posted racist content, Doerkson removed him quickly and said there was no excuse for it. But when his campaign director, Katy Merrifield, posted anti-Islam content, Doerkson was silent for more than 48 hours, according to Shah's statement reported by Indo-Canadian Voice on October 11, 2026.
What did Katy Merrifield post?
According to the Indo-Canadian Voice article published October 11, 2026, Merrifield posted 'f*ck Islam. Defend Western civilization... expel this abhorrent ideology and everyone who defends it' on June 17, 2026, amplified a post saying 'Islam is a literal rape culture' on June 19, 2026, and shared other content characterised by the National Council of Canadian Muslims as showing 'a pattern of Islamophobic views'.
What did the National Council of Canadian Muslims say?
The National Council of Canadian Muslims issued a statement that was reported by the BC NDP on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The council described posts by BC Conservative Campaign Director Katy Merrifield as showing 'a pattern of Islamophobic views.' This statement is reported in the Indo-Canadian Voice article of October 11, 2026.
Who is Amna Shah?
Amna Shah is the BC NDP candidate running for the Surrey City Centre district in the 2026 BC provincial election. Her opponent for the same seat from the Conservative Party of BC is Zeeshan Wahla. The provincial election is on October 24, 2026. Shah's candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/amna-shah.
Did the Conservatives respond to Shah's statement?
The Indo-Canadian Voice article published October 11, 2026 does not include a response from Lorne Doerkson, Katy Merrifield, or Zeeshan Wahla. Shah said in her statement that Wahla chose to defend Merrifield, but the article did not include a direct quote from Wahla on the matter.
What happened to Joachim Agou?
Joachim Agou was a BC Conservative candidate who was removed from the party after posting racist content on social media. According to Shah's statement as reported by Indo-Canadian Voice on October 11, Doerkson said at the time: 'There is no excuse for this. I will not tolerate it.' Doerkson acted quickly to remove Agou, Shah said. Agou's withdrawal was previously reported on October 8, 2026.
What is Katy Merrifield's role in the Conservative campaign?
Katy Merrifield is the campaign director for the BC Conservative Party, according to reporting by Indo-Canadian Voice. She is a senior figure in Doerkson's campaign team. Shah's statement, reported October 11, 2026, says this makes Doerkson's silence over Merrifield's posts more significant than his quick action against a candidate.
When is the BC provincial election?
The BC provincial election is on October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21. Voters in Surrey City Centre can check candidate information at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/surrey-city-centre and review all BC provincial candidates at /bc/provincial-2026/news.
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