Canada

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Manitoba's New Democrats that was launched after a failed political candidate and vaccine critic claimed he was defamed by one of the party's hopefuls in 2022.

In a written decision released Thursday, Manitoba Court of King's Bench Associate Chief Justice Shane Perlmutter rejected Allard's claim he was defamed when Manitoba's New Democrats described him as someone who spouts "racist rhetoric" in a March 2022 news release provided to the Winnipeg Free Press.

In his testimony, Rosner referred to remarks made on a comment chain — before the news release was issued — under a Facebook post that encouraged people to report those disobeying COVID-19 public health orders, in which Allard said to "turn in any attic hiding jews while you’re at it," the decision says.