The Conservatives are accusing the NDP of making up stories after Jagmeet Singh accused one of their candidates of being a “very well-known residential school denier.”
Singh made the accusation against filmmaker Aaron Gunn, the Conservative candidate for North Island—Powell River in British Columbia, in his remarks before the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general meeting in Montreal Thursday.
A Conservative spokesperson told True North that Singh was making things up.
“Once again, Jagmeet Singh is fabricating stories and trying to distract Canadians from his own track record of abandoning hard-working Canadians and propping up a Liberal government that has continued to leave First Nations on the sidelines,” the spokesperson said. “Aaron Gunn has been clear in recognizing the truly horrific events that transpired in residential schools, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is simply false.”
True North reached out to the NDP to ask for support for Singh’s claim but received no reply.
Prior to becoming a federal Conservative candidate, Gunn was disqualified from running for the B.C. Liberal Party, after the party cited numerous tweets where he argued that Canada had not committed genocide against Indigenous peoples.
The B.C. Liberals said that his candidacy “would be inconsistent with the B.C. Liberal Party’s commitment to reconciliation, diversity, and acceptance of all British Columbians.”
Before being disqualified, the B.C. Liberal’s lone Indigenous candidate urged the party to accept Gunn’s candidacy. Gunn said he felt “blindsided” by his disqualification.
The Conservatives have pointed to several pro-Indigenous commitments made by both Gunn and leader Pierre Poilievre.
Singh’s accusation of Gunn came in a tirade against Poilievre, whom Singh said wants to take freedom away from Indigenous people and give it to himself.
“What he really wants is for his rich developer buddies to get richer off your resources. And he doesn’t want you to make the decisions. And I think that’s wrong,” said Singh.
Poilievre delivered his own speech to the Assembly of First Nations Thursday.
During the speech, Poilievre mentioned eliminating bureaucracy, and reducing the amount of funds split with the federal government, leaving more in the hands of the First Nations people that develop resources on their land.
“What does the bureaucracy in Ottawa have to teach you about good management? The amount of money that’s being wasted in our nation’s capital?” asked Poilievre. “If the resources are developed on your land, you should get the money. The workers and the businesses that invest should get the money. We don’t need the money to go to Ottawa where it will be squandered on bureaucracy.”
The Conservative party’s spokesperson said Gunn shares these goals.
“Gunn is looking to join Pierre Poilievre in repealing Trudeau’s radical anti-resource laws to quickly green-light good projects so First Nations and all Canadians bring home more powerful paycheques.”