I'd never heard of John Shavluk until today. I was reading through my daily blog haul when I came across his name. Shavluk was, at the time I read about him, a Green Party candidate in a Vancouver-area riding.

His name came up because a blogger had  unearthed some online postings Shavluk made a couple of years ago that, if he did indeed make them, were decidedly anti-Semitic.

Well, Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader, is convinced that candidate Shavluk said these things. She fired him tonight.

“Respect for diversity is a fundamental principle of the Green Party,” said May in a statement. “We condemn anti-Semitism and our members work to encourage respectful dialogue, diversity, peace and cooperation.

“I communicated with John and thanked him for his work on behalf of the Green Party but explained that he will not be a candidate because his views are not consistent with our philosophy. I will not sign his nomination papers and the Green Party will nominate another candidate.”

Chalk this one up to the blogosphere. So far as I know, no mainstream paper, radio, or TV outlet reported this before May canned Shavluk.

Now that's not a failing of the MSM.  No Canadian MSM outlet has the resources to do that kind of digging on the 1,500 plus candidates that will contest the election that will be underway Sunday. But smart MSM reporters will keep an eye on smart bloggers who do have the time to keep a special eye out in their part of the world.