A Liberal MP from Vancouver is apologizing for a newspaper ad telling aboriginal high school graduates that “sobriety, education and hard work lead to success.”

The newspaper is taking responsibility for the wording of the ad and says that Joyce Murray did not see it before it was published.

The ad featuring Murray’s photo and office address ran in First Nations Drum in June and was blasted on Twitter by NDP candidate Jacqui Gingras and others on Wednesday.

Gingras, who is running in the riding of North Okanagan-Shuwap, shared a photo of the ad with the words “Why is #sobriety the first advice4 #indigenous #grads #racist much.”

Murray tweeted that she was “not aware of this ad and did not approve the content.”

“However, I assume full responsibility and offer my most sincere apologies,” she added.

First Nations Drum founder and co-editor Richard Littlechild said the copy in question was produced in error by a junior employee who he does not expect will continue to work at the paper.

Littlechild said that Murray “never saw the ad” before it was published and that proofreaders should have caught the error.

“For some reason we didn’t catch it,” he said. “Usually we do catch pretty well everything. This one got by us.”

Littlechild said he will print an apology in the next issue and reprint Murray’s ad with the appropriate wording.

“Joyce has been very sensitive to aboriginal issues and native communities,” he added.

“She’s the last person I would ever wish this screw-up could have happened to.”

Sobriety has two meanings, according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary. It may refer to “the state of not being drunk” or “the quality of being serious.”

Murray is the Liberal critic for National Defense and Western Diversification.