A former Alberta NDP candidate has been suspended from his job with the Town of Taber over his tweet last week, "Karmic #climatechange fire burns CDN oilsands city," which he later deleted and apologized for.

Tom Moffatt was roundly criticized on social media for his tweet, which seemed to suggest the Fort McMurray fire was cosmic payback for the city's oilsands-based economy adding to climate change.

Town officials in Taber immediately distanced themselves from Moffatt, an I.T. manager, tweeting that his comment "in no way reflects the town's views on this terrible tragedy."

On Friday the town went further, tweeting that Moffatt has been suspended pending an investigation of his comments.

NOTICE FROM TOWN OF TABER COUNCIL: <a href="https://t.co/cXssNlZqFm">pic.twitter.com/cXssNlZqFm</a> —@TownofTaber

Moffatt said last week his "ill-conceived" tweet was meant to draw attention to corporate and government inaction on the issue of climate change.

Moffatt ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in the 2008 and 2012 provincial elections. In 2015, he sought the party's nomination again but lost it to Maria Fitzpatrick, who went on to win the seat as the party swept to power.