Trudeau ‘regrets’ comments about Senator Brazeau in US magazine

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he “regrets” his choice of words when he spoke about Senator Patrick Brazeau in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Indigenous advocates denounced Trudeau’s comments in the US magazine’s August issue where he referred to Brazeau as “the scrappy tough-guy senator from an Indigenous community.”

They add Trudeau’s comments are “unfortunate, demeaning and racist.” They say it’s a narrative based on a stereotype that Indigenous people are not civilized and a savages.

Trudeau’s comments referred to his victory in a 2012 charity boxing match against Brazeau, who is from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation in Quebec.

Trudeau now says he regrets his choice of language in describing Brazeau. He says the way he characterized Brazeau “doesn’t contribute to the positive spirit of reconciliation.”

Trudeau says he and his government have been working with Indigenous leaders and communities and he recognizes there are “a lot of patterns to change.”

Meantime, Trudeau and his Liberal Party are enjoying some strong summer support.

The House of Commons may not be sitting, but in a new poll from Nanos Research the Liberals are enjoying a healthy lead over the opposition, posting support of 37 per cent. The Conservatives come in at 29 per cent and the NDP has 20.

It also appears new Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is not really getting the traditional honeymoon with voters. Just 44 per cent of people surveyed believe Trudeau is the best leader to be prime minister, more than double the support of Scheer who came in at 21 per cent.

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