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香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淢y group of friends and I, just like Saturday Night Live and everybody else was doing at the time, we just thought we香蕉视频直播檇 have some fun with it and make fun of Donald Trump,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播楳ake America Great Again香蕉视频直播� hat with the comments, 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 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香蕉视频直播� and added that wearing the hat 香蕉视频直播渟hows a lack of judgment.香蕉视频直播�

Harris said he香蕉视频直播檚 not a Trump supporter and 香蕉视频直播淭rump香蕉视频直播檚 politics certainly aren香蕉视频直播檛 mine.香蕉视频直播� He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context.

香蕉视频直播淲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,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Harris said he thinks voters recognize the photos were a joke.

香蕉视频直播淭hey see that I have a sense of humour and that I香蕉视频直播檓 a real guy and I think that people want to have real people in politics,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 have a sense of humour; I like to have fun 香蕉视频直播� If we lose our sense of humour then we have to look in the mirror.香蕉视频直播�

Harris said he and his party will 香蕉视频直播渟tay focused on what really matters, which are the issues of Nanaimo.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播渘ot part of our campaign香蕉视频直播� or any kind of consideration.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidates香蕉视频直播� social media and there香蕉视频直播檚 a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, we香蕉视频直播檙e all learning,香蕉视频直播� Malcolmson said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 take up any air space.香蕉视频直播�

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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