This photo was published Wednesday by Time. (Time Magazine/time.com)

By Derek Cornet

Election 2019

Jolibois speaks out against Trudeau’s ‘brownface’ controversy

Sep 19, 2019 | 5:06 PM

Disappointing and disturbing are the words Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River NDP MP Incumbent Georgina Jolibois used to describe recently released images and video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The first photo was released Wednesday by Time magazine, which showed Trudeau dressed as Aladdin wearing brownface makeup and a costume back in 2001. Another image was later confirmed to be the prime minister singing Day O at a high school talent show wearing blackface makeup. Today a third video surfaced showing him again wearing blackface makeup in the early 1990s.

“He is the Prime Minister of Canada and he grew up a very privileged, spoiled person,” Jolibois said. “He had everything, then he makes those kinds of decisions. When we talk about the racism Indigenous youth and families face every day, as well as the newcomers to Canada, racism is a very ugly thing and it’s a very personal thing. It’s not very much fun to experience racism.”

Jolibois also isn’t entirely convinced about the sincerity of Trudeau’s apologies since the images first came to light. In the past four years in the House of Commons, she noted the prime minister has already had to apologize for past behaviours.

“When I think about the way he treated Jody Wilson-Raybould, [he] was very disrespectful, very undermining and very not helpful,” Jolibois said. “It is evident he hopes all the time Canadians will forgive him.”

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When it comes to dressing up as another human being, Jolibois believes it is inappropriate and disrespectful. When she see images of others portraying different people, she said it is best for communities and residents to come together and building bridges to encouraging healing.

larongeNOW reached our to Liberal candidate Tammy Cook-Searson and Conservative candidate Gary Vidal for comment, but both were unavailable by deadline.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno