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 Liberals鈥� 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.
鈥淢y group of friends and I, just like Saturday Night Live and everybody else was doing at the time, we just thought we鈥檇 have some fun with it and make fun of Donald Trump,鈥� 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 鈥楳ake America Great Again鈥� hat with the comments, 鈥淚鈥檓 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 racism鈥� and added that wearing the hat 鈥渟hows a lack of judgment.鈥�
Harris said he鈥檚 not a Trump supporter and 鈥淭rump鈥檚 politics certainly aren鈥檛 mine.鈥� He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context.
鈥淲hat 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,鈥� he said.
Harris said he thinks voters recognize the photos were a joke.
鈥淭hey see that I have a sense of humour and that I鈥檓 a real guy and I think that people want to have real people in politics,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have a sense of humour; I like to have fun 鈥� If we lose our sense of humour then we have to look in the mirror.鈥�
Harris said he and his party will 鈥渟tay focused on what really matters, which are the issues of Nanaimo.鈥�
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 鈥渘ot part of our campaign鈥� or any kind of consideration.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidates鈥� social media and there鈥檚 a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, we鈥檙e all learning,鈥� Malcolmson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldn鈥檛 take up any air space.鈥�
The Nanaimo byelection is Jan. 30.
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-with files from Karl Yu/The News Bulletin
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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