BC Liberal Andrew Wilkinson said “it was right” for his party candidate Jane Thornthwaite to apologize over sexualized disparaging remarks Thornthwaite made about NDP candidate Bowinn Ma “on reflection”.

“Bowinn is you know very pretty ady and uh she knows that she’s got it and um she knows how to get Ralph going,” Jane Thornthwaite, BC Liberal incumbent for North Vancouver-Seymour, can be heard saying on the video capture of a conference call featuring a number of her fellow candidates including Wilkinson.

“I go to an event and one of them was the [Capilano University] Student Union luncheon and both Bowinn and Ralph were stuck on the couch together very close,” Thorwaite can be heard saying in the clip. “Together for almost the entire time.”

“There [are] these big couches, but Ralph would be sitting on the middle of the couch and Bowinn would be right up right there and cuddling cuddling.” Thorwaite says as other candidates, including leader Andrew Wilkinson, laugh. “Cuddling. Cuddling. Cuddling. Little bit of cleavage there. And Ralph would be enthralled.”

The video was first shared by Vancouver podcaster Mo Amir who hosts the “This is VANCOLOUR” podcast.

“Jane Thornthwaite has apologized for comments she made during a Zoom retirement event for Ralph Sultan,” Tweeted Wilkinson. “On reflection, those comments were inappropriate, and it was right for Jane to apologize. I want to apologize to [Bowinn Ma], as this never should have happened.”

Jane Thornthwaite has apologized for comments she made during a Zoom retirement event for Ralph Sultan. On reflection, those comments were inappropriate, and it was right for Jane to apologize.
I want to apologize to @BowinnMa, as this never should have happened. 1/2

— Andrew Wilkinson (@Wilkinson4BC) October 11, 2020

“I understand why many people are upset, and I continue to be committed to doing everything I can to make sure women are welcomed, encouraged, and treated with respect in politics and public life,” Wilkinson added.

“On reflection? You had to reflect?” Pam Shaw asked Wilkinson. “Right there, that is the problem. That ‘conversation’ went off the rails, you laughed and chortled and went right along with it. Off the rails. Reflect? Good god, man, you are so far away from being on the rails you don’t even realize it.”

“You mean, you want to apologize for laughing along with this lengthy, disparaging assassination of a public woman’s character,” Teacher Teresa McGee said. “You were clearly enjoying it. Are you so far removed from what decency is, that you didn’t recognize that in the moment?”

“From an accuracy perspective what actually happened is y’all lol’d at the casual misogyny, caught major justified backlash, then she tweeted out some minimization non-apology, caught more backlash and dropped an oh by the way I also apologize tweet,” Lawyer Kirk Tousaw responded to Wilkinson.