Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau reacts as he makes a statement in regards to photo coming to light of himself from 2001 wearing "brownface" during a scrum on his campaign plane in Halifax, N.S., on Wednesday, September 18, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

By CJME News Staff

Off-colour controversy

Third Trudeau racist makeup incident emerges

Sep 19, 2019 | 11:25 AM

Two images of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau in brown or black makeup have emerged in the last 12 hours, and now Global News is reporting a third instance.

The broadcaster says it has obtained an exclusive video that shows Trudeau with what appears to be black makeup, while he’s moving and dancing around. The grainy video has no audio.

There’s no context for the video, where it was taken or what situation it was occurring in.

The Liberal Party confirmed that it is Trudeau in the video, but would only refer to his previous, Wednesday night apology and comments for offering a statement. A Liberal communications person said it was filmed in the early 1990s.

Global News reports that the person who supplied the video, and the person who shot it, refused to confirm any details about when the video was taken, or what the situation was.

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The network’s reporting came not even 24 hours since Time Magazine published a photo from a 2001 yearbook at West Point Grey Academy, a private school in Vancouver where Trudeau worked as a teacher.

The Liberal Party has confirmed that it was a 29-year-old Trudeau in the photo, appearing with his skin darkened while wearing a turban.

Locally, the NDP candidate from Regina-Lewvan reacted with dismay.

“I’m really disappointed but not entirely surprised. This is the kind of thing we expect from a party that says one thing to get elected and does another thing in office,” said Jigar Patel during the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Thursday.

Patel also didn’t seem satisfied by Trudeau’s apology.

“He needs to do something more to (show) he is sincerely sorry,” he said.

Trudeau’s re-election campaign is coming to Saskatchewan, as he is scheduled to be at a rally in Saskatoon on Thursday evening.

Trudeau has conceded it will take some doing to restore his image as a champion of diversity and tolerance.

“I’m asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did,” he said Wednesday night during an emergency news conference aboard the Liberal campaign plane before taking off from Halifax for Winnipeg, where he was scheduled to have events Thursday.

“I shouldn’t have done that. It was a dumb thing to do. I’m disappointed in myself. I’m pissed off at myself for having done it. I apologize for it.”

He added that he didn’t consider it a racist action at the time, “but now we know better.

“This is something unacceptable and it is racist.”

— With files from the Canadian Press