A provincial byelection candidate is being criticized for a fashion faux pas from three years ago.
Tony Harris, the B.C. Liberal candidate for Nanaimo, once dressed as Donald Trump in order to lampoon the now-President of the U.S.A., and since Harris was announced as the Liberalsā intended candidate, the Instagram photos have been continually shared via social media.
Harris said the photos were taken on a ski trip in the Rockies in 2016, a few months before Trump became the Republican nominee for president.
āMy group of friends and I, just like Saturday Night Live and everybody else was doing at the time, we just thought weād have some fun with it and make fun of Donald Trump,ā Harris said.
This past Wednesday, the day the byelection was called, Ravi Kahlon, NDP MLA for Delta North, shared on Facebook one of the photos of Harris in a āMake America Great Againā hat with the comments, āIām not sure if Mr. Harris likes Trump or thought this was a joke but what he should realize is that this has become the symbol of hate and racismā and added that wearing the hat āshows a lack of judgment.ā
Harris said heās not a Trump supporter and āTrumpās politics certainly arenāt mine.ā He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context.
āWhat the NDP are doing right now is a key reason that young people avoid politics altogether, because of the personal slandering and stuff like that,ā he said.
Harris said he thinks voters recognize the photos were a joke.
āThey see that I have a sense of humour and that Iām a real guy and I think that people want to have real people in politics,ā he said. āI have a sense of humour; I like to have fun ā¦ If we lose our sense of humour then we have to look in the mirror.ā
Harris said he and his party will āstay focused on what really matters, which are the issues of Nanaimo.ā
Kahlon indicated he will be in Nanaimo to knock on doors for Sheila Malcolmson, NDP candidate. Malcolmson said that the photos of Harris as Trump are ānot part of our campaignā or any kind of consideration.
āItās a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidatesā social media and thereās a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, weāre all learning,ā Malcolmson said. āItās certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldnāt take up any air space.ā
The Nanaimo byelection is Jan. 30.
RELATED:
RELATED:
RELATED:
RELATED:
-with files from Karl Yu/The News Bulletin
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on
