Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked outrage Wednesday in the Canadian House of Commons when he accused a Jewish Conservative Party member of supporting “people who wave swastikas.”
Trudeau made the comments during the daily questioning period in the lower chamber of the Canadian Parliament after facing criticism from Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who became the first Jewish woman elected to her party last October, Fox News reported.
Lantsman recited two quotes from Trudeau – one in which he blasted the so-called “Freedom Convoy” the protesters that have staged anti-COVID mandate demonstrations in Ottawa and at various border crossings.
“If Canadians are going to trust their government, their government needs to trust Canadians,” Lantsman said, repeating Trudeau’s words from 2015.
Lantsman then brought up how Trudeau recently labeled the protesters “very often misogynistic, racist, women-haters, science-deniers, the fringe.”
“Same prime minister, six years later as he fans the flames of an unjustified national emergency,” Lantsman said.
“When did the prime minister lose his way?” she asked, eliciting applause from members of her party.
But their claps soon turned to shouts after Trudeau, a member of the Liberal Party, responded.
“Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas, they can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag,” Trudeau said.
“We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, to be able to get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop, and they will.”
Conservative MP Dane Lloyd slammed Trudeau over his comments and demanded an apology.
“Mr. Speaker, I’ve never seen such shameful and dishonorable remarks coming from this prime minister,” said Llody.
“There are members of this Conservative caucus who are the descendants of victims of the Holocaust,” he said.
Later in the session, after Trudeau left the lower chamber, Lantsman addressed what the prime minister said.
“I am a strong Jewish woman and a member of this House and a descendant of Holocaust survivors and … it’s never been singled out, and I’ve never been made to feel less,” said Lantsman.
“Except for today, when the prime minister accused me of standing with swastikas. I think he owes me an apology. I’d like an apology and I think he owes an apology to all members of this House.”
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