Hamilton NDP candidate Alex Johnstone is apologizing for a penis joke she made about Auschwitz seven years ago on social media.

In the Facebook post, Johnstone remarks that the electrified fence posts in around the Nazi-run death camp in Poland shown in her friend's Facebook photo are phallic in shape.

"Ahhh, the infamous Pollish, phallic, hydro posts … of course you took pictures of this! It expresses the how the curve is normal, natural, and healthy right!"

Campaign manager Paul Mason said his candidate's remark was brought to his attention around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Less than an hour later, Mason said, the post was removed and a public apology was published on Johnstone's Facebook page:

"Attention was recently drawn to a comment I posted on social media seven years ago. While never intending any malice, this comment was clearly inappropriate. I would like to offer my unreserved apology for this comment."

Mason said Johnstone hadn't even remembered making the comment but knows that it was inappropriate.

"I don't think it's any kind of insensitivity. It was just a comment made years ago."

[List of gaffes during federal election]

Mason said Johnstone wasn't immediately available to discuss the Facebook post.

She was busy preparing for a Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas all candidates' debate Tuesday evening.

The Truth North Times drew attention to the remark Tuesday in a story headlined "NDP Candidate Alex Johnstone Made a Dick Joke About Auschwitz."

"Most Canadians know surprisingly little about their candidates for office — especially how they think and act when in private," the article on the website whose goal is to make Canadian politics "accessible," "funny" and "entertaining."

True North Times board member Daniel Etcovitch said the two-year-old website will publish similar stories about more candidates focusing on comments they've made voters "deserve to know about."

"No party is immune. No party of Canada is immune."

A good deal of attention is paid to party leaders and platforms, but voters cast ballots for local candidates, he said.

Johnstone, a public school board trustee, isn't the first federal political player to be called out for social media posts.

Earlier this month, Joy Davies stepped down as South Surrey-White Rock B.C.'s Liberal candidate for arguing pot use can decrease domestic violence and children are OK in homes where it's grown.

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Toronto-Danforth's Conservative candidate Tim Dutaud was dropped on Labour Day weekend for videos he posted of himself making crank calls.