Green Party used Photoshop to add reusable cup and metal straw to photo of Elizabeth May https://t.co/sKhTVefm5v pic.twitter.com/RO3Qrd359o
— Ottawa Citizen (@OttawaCitizen) September 25, 2019
“I was completely shocked to find that the party had photoshopped an image of me from last year’s Sidney Street Market,” May wrote. “My personal daily practice is to avoid single use plastic items 100% of the time. I never drink from plastic water bottles. I always carry my own reusable coffee cup. I carry my own bamboo utensils. I walk the talk every day.”
May went on to say the edited image was a “misstep” by what she called a well-meaning party staff member who wanted to brand the image with the Green Party logo and reiterated that given her typically eco-conscious habits, she had nothing to hide.
The party recently released its 2019 platform, which includes a pledge to ban all single-use plastics in Canada by 2022 — including straws and cups.
May offered advice to her staff should they decide to edit another picture and quipped to the Guardian: “If they’re going to Photoshop, couldn’t they do something with my face and make it look a little younger?”
Although the Green Party of Canada has long been an underdog, compared with parties that dominate the country’s parliament, such as the Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic parties, climate concerns have bolstered the Greens this election. Reuters reports the party had about 11 percent public support as of a recent poll — more than triple the amount it notched during the 2015 election.
May is among five candidates seeking to replace Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada’s Oct. 21 election.
May’s Photoshop flap is minor, compared with Trudeau’s photo controversies: Last week, photos surfaced of the Liberal Party prime minister wearing racist brown-face makeup in three incidents from his youth.
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