TORONTO, Ont. — Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me three times?
Three shocking and racist images have now been confirmed showing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface.
It’s started a national conversation and many government officials — Liberal or otherwise — have taken to social media to voice their opinions on Trudeau and the images.
Ontario Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter tweeted: “What Justin Trudeau did was wrong. He has apologized. I know it is not representative of the man he is. This is a teachable moment for all of us. I accept his apology and I hope Canadians do too.”
What Justin Trudeau did was wrong. He has apologized. I know it is not representative of the man he is.
— Mitzie Hunter (@MitzieHunter) September 19, 2019
This is a teachable moment for all of us. I accept his apology and I hope Canadians do too. #exln43 #canpoli #Onpoli
In a scathing response, Liberal Whitby MP, Celina Caesar-Chavannes, wrote back to Hunter: “Teachable moment for ‘all’? What black person does not know that #blackface is absolutely deplorable? What [Prime Minister of Canada] does not know that painting your face and hands a different colour is wrong? Who needs this teachable moment?”
Teachable moment for “all”? What Black person does not know that #blackface is absolutely deplorable? What POC does not know that painting your face and hands a different colour is wrong? Who needs this teachable moment? https://t.co/t2tdoXPbnJ
— MP Celina 🇨🇦 (@MPCelina) September 19, 2019
However, many elected government officials from the Liberal party have yet to voice their opinion on the news.
Meanwhile, John Baird, a former Senior Cabinet Minister, tweeted out a statement supposedly issued by Adam Vaughn, Spadina-Fort York Liberal MP that called this a “time for reflection”, along with the caption “Wow! Even Adam Vaughn is throwing Trudeau under the bus.”
Wow! Even Adam Vaughan is throwing Trudeau under the bus. pic.twitter.com/xkmWuNE6yn
— John Baird (@Baird) September 19, 2019
A section from the statement reads: “Racism is wrong. It hurts people and it damages every environment it invades. We must now find the courage to listen, accept the lessons that will be presented to us, and then commit to act with clarity and determination to end all systems of hate.”
Federal Conservative Leader, Andrew Scheer, responded to the breaking news late Wednesday night saying he was “shocked and disappointed”.
“Wearing brownface is an act of open mockery and racism. It was just as racist in 2001 as it is in 2019,” he says in the Twitter video.
Scheer also says in the video Trudeau’s actions show a “complete lack of judgement and integrity and someone who is not fit to govern this country.”
My response to the Time Magazine story about Justin Trudeau: pic.twitter.com/nIfukTRiev
— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) September 19, 2019
Federal Leader of the NDP, Jagmeet Singh also responded to the news following the prime minister’s news conference.
Singh wrote on Twitter: “Tonight is not about the Prime Minister. It’s about every young person mocked for the colour of their skin. The child who had their Turban ripped off their head. And those reliving intense feelings of pain and hurt from past experiences of racism. To you, I say you are loved.”
Tonight is not about the Prime Minister.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) September 19, 2019
It's about every young person mocked for the colour of their skin.
The child who had their turban ripped off their head.
And those reliving intense feelings of pain & hurt from past experiences of racism.
To you, I say you are loved.
The controversial leader of the newly founded Peoples Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, stopped short of calling the Prime Minister a racist.
“I’m not going to accuse [Justin Trudeau] of being a racist,” the tweet read.
“But he’s the master of identity politics and the Libs just spent months accusing everyone of being white supremacists. He is definitely the biggest hypocrite in the country.”
I’m not going to accuse @JustinTrudeau of being a racist.
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) September 19, 2019
But he’s the master of identity politics and the Libs just spent months accusing everyone of being white supremacists.
He definitely is the biggest hypocrite in the country.
Omar Alghabra, Liberal MP for Mississauga Centre, recounted his own past experiences with racism, seemingly defending Trudeau’s actions writing in the tweet: “When [Denise Batters] and [Blaine Calkin] attacked me and spread malicious stereotypes against me and then apologized. I accepted their apology,” adding, “I’m still waiting for many Conservatives to own up to their mistakes and apologize.”
When @denisebatters & @blainecalkinsmp attacked me and spread malicious stereotypes against me and then apologized. I accepted their apology, did you think it was a scripted subplot? In fact, I'm still waiting for many Conservatives to own up to their mistakes and apologize https://t.co/YS8ps4D2eD
— Omar Alghabra (@OmarAlghabra) September 19, 2019
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
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