The Conservative Party of Canada has deleted a video of theirs that promoted Canadian values alongside images of what appears to be Russian fighter jets. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre talks with people in the crowd prior to the National Acadian Day concert at the airport in Yarmouth, N.S., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ron Ward
OTTAWA – The Conservative Party of Canada has deleted a video that promoted Canadian values but featured what the Defence Minister’s office says are Russian fighter jets.
The video was posted by the party on X over the weekend with the slogan “Canada. Our Home” and features a speech delivered by leader Pierre Poilievre from the Calgary Stampede.
In the video, Poilievre is describing a Canadian man looking up at the sky to see a brand new fighter jet that he says is “getting ready to defend our home and native land.”
The jets that appeared in the video as Poilievre delivered that line were Russian Su-17 and Su-27 jets, according to Defence Minister Bill Blair’s spokesman.
X users and New Democrats were also quick to point out that the jets appeared to be Russian-owned, and that other stock images used in the video by the party weren’t actually Canadian.
The Conservative party deleted the video after online criticism, saying mistakes happen, while also pointing out that a Liberal ad from 2011 was scrutinized over its use of stock images.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2024.
