Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski said he was proud of his leader Jagmeet Singh for his response to a shocking photo showing Justin Trudeau wearing brownface makeup as part of an Aladdin costume in 2001.
WATCH:
NDP leader Singh, along with political leaders from all parties around Canada, shared their reactions to this troubling photo that was released Wednesday, and the Prime Minister’s response to it.
READ MORE: ‘Troubling, insulting’: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reacts to Trudeau’s brownface photo
“Tonight is not about the Prime Minister,” Singh tweeted. “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.”
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 & hurt from past experiences of racism.
To you, I say you are loved.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) September 19, 2019
Stetski said he was proud of Singh’s response because he focused on people and that Canada is a great country that is there for diversity and equality.
“The NDP wants to focus on people, and Jagmeet, I thought, did a great job of doing that yesterday,” Stetski told the Townsman. “That’s where our focus needs to be, we want to help people, in this case it was helping people who at some point in their life felt offended or bullied or attacked because of who they are. So that message of comfort I think is one that Jagmeet wanted to bring to Canada and that I also want to bring to the people of Kootenay Columbia.”
READ MORE: Liberals’ Kootenay-Columbia candidate stands by Trudeau despite scandal
Stetski also responded directly to Trudeau’s apology.
“We have all made mistakes in life and I think it’s important we apologize and own up to those mistakes,” Stetski said.
“Again I think people need to look at what kind of leadership they want for Canada and is it a leadership that’s interested in people or is it a leadership that’s interested in power, and I think that choice is becoming clearer every day. We are going to be there and we are there to support people.”
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