Sudbury Mayor calling for candidate ban

Brian Bigger wants David Popescu Banned Sudbury’s incumbent Mayor Brian Bigger wants David Popescu banned from events and debates. Callam Rodya

David Popescu has been a candidate in virtually every Sudbury election held in the city over the last twenty years, and uses that as a platform for his fundamentalist Christian beliefs.

Many call his views homophobic, xenophobic, bigoted and just plain hate speech.

Now, the current Mayor of Sudbury wants him banned from future meetings and debates.

Last Friday’s at a mayoral candidate’s debate Popescu responded to a question on what each candidate would do to further reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

"I attended a meeting at Wiki where an American native acknowledged that he was going in for training to become a witch doctor, and part of the requirement was that he would have to be hung up on a meat hook by the back and he said Jesus is not the white man's god. He's the natives' god too”, said Popescu.

Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger says he’s received a lot of praise for staking his position against Popescu, who is legally a candidate. Nothing disqualifies him from seeking office. The Sudbury chamber of commerce says, as such, he'll still be welcome at Wednesday's debate.