The Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the North Island–Powell River riding, Aaron Gunn, has had several controversial social media posts resurface through the course of this federal election campaign.
He has made statements that glorify Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives, claimed residential schools were not a form of genocide on Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, and earlier this week, a social media post came to light that claims there is no gender pay gap in Canada.
The most recent past tweets of Gunn’s that have resurfaced praise Elon Musk as a Canadian citizen and minimize the importance of fact-checking on social media platforms, specifically regarding posts that United States President Donald Trump has made.
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Since making some of these posts on social media, spanning between 2014 and 2020, Gunn has apologized for some of the views he used to hold.
However, he continues to insist that what has transpired between the Canadian government and the Indigenous Peoples of Canada cannot be categorized as genocide.
Following a Truth and Reconciliation Commission ordered in 2008 by former prime minister Stephen Harper, the Commission concluded that, “residential schools were a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages, and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.”
While Gunn continues to lead in the polls in the North Island–Powell River electoral district, according to 338Canada, there have been many calls for him to be dropped from the ballot or resign.
Related:
- Vancouver Island Conservative candidate’s social media posts continue to raise concerns
- Vancouver Island elected officials push for and against Aaron Gunn’s resignation
- Vancouver Island Conservative candidate under fire for past comments praising Putin
Earlier this month NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to drop Gunn with the support of 25 past and present elected officials in the North Island–Powell River area.
Additionally, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the BC First Nations Leadership Council and the Regional Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations have echoed this call to remove Gunn as a candidate following his harmful statements regarding residential schools.
Conversely, there was another open letter in support of Gunn, which received eight signatures of support from local officials.
Poilievre has removed several of his candidates from the ballots because of comments they made on social media, but in the case of Gunn, he has decided to stand by his candidate, doubling down on Gunn’s views of residential schools not meeting the threshold of genocide.
Historically, the North Island–Powell River riding has never been won by a Conservative candidate. The NDP have won the last three elections in this region.
