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乌鸦传媒� 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.

乌鸦传媒淢y group of friends and I, just like Saturday Night Live and everybody else was doing at the time, we just thought we乌鸦传媒檇 have some fun with it and make fun of Donald Trump,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒楳ake America Great Again乌鸦传媒� hat with the comments, 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 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乌鸦传媒� and added that wearing the hat 乌鸦传媒渟hows a lack of judgment.乌鸦传媒�

Harris said he乌鸦传媒檚 not a Trump supporter and 乌鸦传媒淭rump乌鸦传媒檚 politics certainly aren乌鸦传媒檛 mine.乌鸦传媒� He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context.

乌鸦传媒淲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,乌鸦传媒� he said.

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

乌鸦传媒淭hey see that I have a sense of humour and that I乌鸦传媒檓 a real guy and I think that people want to have real people in politics,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 have a sense of humour; I like to have fun 乌鸦传媒� If we lose our sense of humour then we have to look in the mirror.乌鸦传媒�

Harris said he and his party will 乌鸦传媒渟tay focused on what really matters, which are the issues of Nanaimo.乌鸦传媒�

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 乌鸦传媒渘ot part of our campaign乌鸦传媒� or any kind of consideration.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidates乌鸦传媒� social media and there乌鸦传媒檚 a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, we乌鸦传媒檙e all learning,乌鸦传媒� Malcolmson said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 take up any air space.乌鸦传媒�

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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