OTTAWA – A Communist Party of Canada candidate was forced to resign after photos were released of him reading Atlas Shrugged as a university student.

Fred Buck, a candidate for the Ottawa riding of Nepean-Bytown South stepped down Saturday for reading a dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged in 2009 instead of Gramsci, Marx, or the dozens of other noble philosophers who advocated for a fair and just society.

“After an investigation, Mr. Buck has demonstrated his preference for Ayn Rand’s social Darwinism,” said the Communist Party General Secretary. “Although he was just 20 at the time, he should have known better not to read a text that is used to continue to justify the exploitation of the worker by corporations across the world.”

The Communist Party’s opponents were quick to condemn Blair’s complete and utter disregard for the workers.

“Once again, the Communist Party has shown they’re not willing to screen candidates for genuine proletariat values,” said the leader of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. “This year, Canadians have the decision to make between a real communist party and a fake one.”

The impact of Buck’s action was felt on the campaign trail across the country with other Communist candidates concerned about their party’s reputation as ardent defenders of the working class.

“Now, no one will take us seriously,” lamented another Communist Party candidate who received 0.2% of the vote in his riding in 2015. “This is could cost us the election.”