Calls for the Conservative Party of Canada to remove Aaron Gunn as its candidate in the North Island-Powell River riding are coming from First Nations, national party leaders and two other candidates running locally.
On April 3, First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) issued a media release about previous comments made by Gunn on social media.
“The FNLC is joining calls for the Conservative Party of Canada to drop Aaron Gunn, the candidate for North Island-Powell River, due to his horrific and offensive posts on X between 2019 and 2021 refuting that Indigenous people faced a genocide in Canada and that residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands,” the release stated. “Such attitudes are extremely harmful and divisive and should not be held by those in public office. We continue to stand with residential school survivors and their families and communities. We know the well documented truths of what happened, and we are grateful to them for continuing to bravely share their stories.”
The First Nations Leadership Council is comprised of the political executives of the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN), First Nations Summit (FNS) and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC).
Green Party of Canada co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault also called for Gunn to be dropped from the ballot in statements on April 4, for his “many unacceptable posts and, more specifically, his denial of the history of residential schools.”
“Intolerance has no place in our democracy,” stated May. “I stand with our First Nations in demanding that the Conservative Party drop Aaron Gunn from the ballot. In posts he praises Elon Musk; the rightwing Liberal Party of BC rejected [Gunn]. How can the federal Conservatives stand by this Trump-like candidate?
“For decades Canada has denied the coordinated racism Indigenous Peoples faced in residential schools. With the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we finally got to the bottom of this dark chapter in our history.”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by the late Murray Sinclair, concluded residential schools were intended for cultural genocide, “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,” the Green Party release stated.
“Not only has Aaron Gunn been spreading misinformation and intolerance, he is out of step with his own party,” stated Pedneault. “Conservative MPs voted in favour of a unanimously passed motion recognizing residential schools as genocide in 2022. If the Conservative Party had any integrity, they would drop him as a candidate.”
In a media release on April 4, North Island-Powell River Liberal Party of Canada candidate Jennifer Lash spoke out against “rhetoric that threatens to divide communities.”
“Unfortunately, the populist rhetoric from Aaron Gunn risks tearing at the threads that tie our communities together at the very time we are facing threats to our economy and our sovereignty from Donald Trump,” stated Lash.
Recently, statements surfaced showing Gunn’s support for Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 2014 invasion of Ukraine.
“Everyone says regrettable things when they’re young, but Aaron’s comments reveal a dangerous pattern,” added Lash. “Time and again, he has chosen to align himself with populists, weakening our society and distracting from the real issues.”
Tla’amin Nation, which, along with the qathet region, is part of the North Island-Powell River riding, released a statement rejecting Gunn "as an authority on what constitutes genocide.”
“The candidate’s Twitter history speaks for itself,” the Tla’amin statement read. “It is deeply troubling that, even after thousands of residential school survivors courageously shared their truths across this country, individuals who minimize or deny the harms of these institutions continue to rise to positions of influence — and, more concerning still, receive public support. We stand in support of Tla’amin residential school survivors.”
Gunn made the following statement on X on April 3:
“I’d like to clear up what has been said today. I have always been firm in recognizing the truly horrific events that transpired in residential schools, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is simply false. I have never wavered in condemning these institutions of abuse, where countless First Nations suffered at the hands of a patronizing federal government.
“I have never wavered in condemning the theft of children from their families, or the forced destruction of Indigenous language, culture and traditions. Not only have I repeatedly denounced what happened at residential schools, through my documentaries, I have also interviewed more than two dozen Indigenous leaders on the importance of economic reconciliation with First Nations while also highlighting the disproportionate impact the addictions crisis has had on their communities.”
A day earlier, also on X, Gunn posted the following:
“I am firmly opposed to Putin’s heinous and illegal actions in Ukraine, and his oppression of the Russian people within Russia. I have held and articulated these views publicly for years. In early 2014, when I was still in my early 20s, I made foolish comments about Putin and Ukraine. I stopped holding those views a long time ago.
“Canada must support Ukraine in their defence against Russia’s illegal invasion, including by building pipelines to tidewater to displace Russian oil and gas and stop the funding of Putin’s war machine. A point I have made consistently in documentaries and viral videos since their second illegal invasion in 2022.
“Conservatives have a proud history of supporting Ukraine. It was under a Conservative government that on December 2, 1991, Canada became the first western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. Conservatives were the ones who successfully negotiated the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. Stephen Harper led the charge to kick Russia out of the G7 following their invasion of Crimea. I’m proud to continue this legacy of support for Ukraine as they continue their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion.”
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has called out Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s failure to act after Gunn’s denial of Canada’s genocide against Indigenous peoples, pro-Putin remarks and minimization of LGBTQ2S+ oppression.
“Pierre Poilievre claims he has ‘zero tolerance for candidates who act unacceptably,’” stated Singh, in a media release. “If that’s true, why is Aaron Gunn still on the ballot? His refusal to drop Gunn – a candidate who denies genocide and mocks reconciliation – isn’t just hypocrisy, it’s a failure of leadership.”
Tanille Johnston, who is the NDP’s candidate in North Island-Powell River, said Poilievre’s support and continued backing of Gunn speaks volumes.
“Conservatives can’t claim to support reconciliation while investing in candidates who spread, hate, harm and division,” stated Johnston. “Gunn’s extremism has no place in our communities – nor Canada’s federal government.”
Along with Gunn, Lash and Johnston, also seeking to represent North Island-Powell River as MP are Jessica Wegg (Green Party of Canada), Glen Staples (Independent) and Paul Macknight (People’s Party of Canada).
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