Eby calls on Doerkson to remove Conservative campaign director over anti-Islam posts
NDP leader David Eby said on October 10 that Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson must fire his party's campaign director, Katy Merrifeld, for social media posts calling Islam an abhorrent ideology.
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BC NDP leader David Eby called on Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson on Saturday to fire his party's campaign director over a social media post that called Islam an "abhorrent ideology." CityNews Vancouver reported the call from a campaign stop on Vancouver Island.
What Eby said
According to CityNews Vancouver, Eby said Doerkson must remove Katy Merrifeld over a post she made on June 17. The post placed an expletive in front of the word Islam and called on her audience to defend "Western civilization." CityNews Vancouver reported the post was connected to a privately funded report called "Rape Gang Inquiry," published by Rupert Lowe, the leader of the anti-immigration Restore Britain party.
Eby said Doerkson has a chance to show where he stands. CityNews Vancouver reported him saying that if Doerkson does not remove Merrifeld, it would show he only fires candidates in ridings where they had no chance of winning.
Merrifeld's response
Merrifeld has since said on social media that she took the original post down within hours, according to CityNews Vancouver. She said her anger was directed at the extremism used to justify violent crimes, not at Muslims or their faith. CityNews Vancouver reported her saying she is a woman and a rape survivor who was brought to tears reading the report. "I was heartbroken, horrified, and angry," she said in a post. "I abhor the people who perpetuated that violence justified by their extreme ideology."
The Agou case
This call follows Doerkson's decision last week to fire Conservative candidate Joachim Agou from the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding. CityNews Vancouver reported that Agou's removal was also over comments about Muslims, and that Agou has since apologized. Eby was asked why he is calling for the removal of someone who is not on the ballot. His answer, reported by CityNews Vancouver, drew a comparison to Agou: if Doerkson does not also remove Merrifeld, it would mean he only removed Agou because that riding was not competitive.
What this means for voters
If you want to follow this story, CityNews Vancouver has reported it as of October 10. The Conservative Party of BC's response, if any, was not included in the CityNews Vancouver report. The October 24 election is two weeks away. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21, and your voting place is available through Elections BC.
Questions this story answers
What did David Eby say about the Conservative campaign director on October 10?
CityNews Vancouver reported that BC NDP leader David Eby, speaking at a campaign stop on Vancouver Island on Saturday, called on Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson to fire his party's campaign director, Katy Merrifeld. Eby said Merrifeld must be removed because of a social media post she made on June 17 that called Islam an abhorrent ideology and called for the defense of Western civilization. Merrifeld is not a candidate on the ballot; she is a senior campaign official for the Conservative Party of BC.
What did Katy Merrifeld post on social media?
According to CityNews Vancouver, Merrifeld posted on social media on June 17. The post placed an expletive in front of the word Islam and called on her audience to defend Western civilization. CityNews Vancouver reported that the post was connected to a privately funded report called Rape Gang Inquiry, published by Rupert Lowe, the leader of the anti-immigration Restore Britain party. Merrifeld has since said on social media that she took the post down within hours, and that her anger was directed at the extremism used to justify violent crimes, not at Muslims or their faith.
What has Lorne Doerkson said about his campaign director?
CityNews Vancouver reported that Eby made his call for Merrifeld's removal at a campaign event on Saturday, October 10. The report does not include a response from Lorne Doerkson on whether he will remove Merrifeld. CityNews Vancouver reported that Doerkson had already fired Conservative candidate Joachim Agou last week for separate comments about Muslims, for which Agou has since apologized. Eby said Doerkson has a chance to show where he stands with this decision.
How does this relate to the removal of Joachim Agou?
CityNews Vancouver reported that Eby drew a direct comparison between the two cases. Doerkson fired BC Conservative candidate Joachim Agou from the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding on October 8 over social media posts about Muslims. Agou has since apologized for those posts. Eby said that if Doerkson does not also remove Merrifeld, it would suggest he only removed Agou because Agou was not in a competitive riding. This site published a separate article on Agou's removal and apology.
What did Katy Merrifeld say in response to the criticism?
According to CityNews Vancouver, Merrifeld said on social media that she took down her original post within hours of publishing it. She said her anger was directed at the extremism used to justify violent crimes, not at Muslims or their faith. Merrifeld said she is a woman and a rape survivor, and that she was brought to tears reading the report that prompted her post. She said, according to CityNews Vancouver, I was heartbroken, horrified, and angry. I abhor the people who perpetuated that violence justified by their extreme ideology.
Is Katy Merrifeld a candidate in the October 24 election?
No. According to CityNews Vancouver, Katy Merrifeld is the Conservative Party of BC's campaign director, not a candidate on the ballot. When Eby was asked why he was calling for the removal of someone not on the ballot, CityNews Vancouver reported him saying that if Doerkson does not remove Merrifeld, it would show he only fires candidates in ridings where they have no chance of winning. The election is on October 24, 2026.
What is the Conservative Party of BC's vetting process for candidates?
CityNews Vancouver's report notes that the removal of Agou and the questions around Merrifeld have put the Conservative party's vetting process under scrutiny. The report does not detail what that process involves. The Conservative Party of BC's candidate and platform information is available at this site's party page.
Where can I find information about candidates in the October 24 election?
This site lists all candidates in the BC provincial election at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates. You can find David Eby's page at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/david-eby and Lorne Doerkson's page at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/lorne-doerkson. The election is on October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21.
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