Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called accusations a party candidate in B.C. has denied the history of residential schools "misleading," and said he stands by his nominee.

“He’s not denied the impact of residential schools, that’s just misinformation,” Poilievre told reporters Saturday when asked about his support for Gunn, the candidate for North Island-Powell River.

“In fact, he has said that he wants to continue to condemn the residential schools and build stronger partnerships with First Nations people to unlock our resources, so that we can produce incredible paycheques and opportunities for First Nations communities right across British Columbia.”

Among those posts referenced included a video posted on social media in which Gunn said Canada’s program of residential schools did not constitute an act of genocide and that the schools are “much-maligned.”

“There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book,” Gunn wrote in 2020.

  • brisk@lemmy.ca
    11·
    2 days ago

    Is it any surprise, given this scandal from back when Harper was Prime Minister?

    Poilievre had come under heavy criticism for telling CFRA News Talk Radio that he wasn’t sure Canada was “getting value for all of this money” being spent to compensate former students of federally financed residential schools.

    “My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self-reliance. That’s the solution in the long run — more money will not solve it,” Poilievre said.

    The MP for Nepean-Carleton also suggested that aboriginal chiefs have too much power.

    “That gets to the heart of the problem on these reserves where there is too much power concentrated in the hands of the leadership, and it makes you wonder where all of this money is going.”

    He was saying on this on the same day Harper was issuing a historic apology to indigenous peoples for the residential school program too, mind you.