[Dion]

Wildrose leader Brian Jean asks candidate Bill Jarvis to step down over 'brown people' comment caught during leadership announcement.....

On Sunday, Jean ordered Jarvis’ immediate resignation.

“Earlier today I was made aware of a comment made by Bill Jarvis at last night’s Wildrose event,” Jean said in a statement.

“The comment was disrespectful and while I accept that Mr. Jarvis did not intend to insult, I will not accept inappropriate statements that fail to show respect for all Albertans. I have asked Mr. Jarvis to step down and he has agreed.”

“We need lots of brown people in the front,” is the brainless bullet, uttered mere inches from a live microphone.

The words were overheard as Wildrose candidates jostled for space on a crowded stage Saturday night, only minutes before new leader Brian Jean took the podium to promote the party, post-Danielle Smith.

Jarvis made the quip standing between two Wildrosers of non-European decent, including Calgary Fort candidate Jeevan Mangat, and to be fair, he appeared to be joking around, a grin plastered to his face the whole time.

But others on the stage weren’t laughing at all, realizing Jarvis’ attempt at ethnic humour was carried over the PA and live-streamed online from Calgary’s Sheraton Cavalier hotel, with a lot of Albertans listening.

“You know the mic’s on, right?” asked one cringing colleague, to which Jarvis replied, “Is the mic on? Ah, okay.”

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/03/29...p-announcement