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 Liberalssa国际传媒� 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.

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

Harris said hesa国际传媒檚 not a Trump supporter and sa国际传媒淭rumpsa国际传媒檚 politics certainly arensa国际传媒檛 mine.sa国际传媒� He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context.

sa国际传媒淲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,sa国际传媒� he said.

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

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

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

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 sa国际传媒渘ot part of our campaignsa国际传媒� or any kind of consideration.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidatessa国际传媒� social media and theresa国际传媒檚 a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, wesa国际传媒檙e all learning,sa国际传媒� Malcolmson said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldnsa国际传媒檛 take up any air space.sa国际传媒�

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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