By Canadian Press

Trudeau won’t remove Liberal candidate for racist, sexist social-media posts

Oct 6, 2019 | 10:12 AM

PLAINVILLE, Ont. — Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says comments made by a Liberal candidate in Nova Scotia in old social-media posts are unacceptable, but that he is not removing him as a candidate.

Jaime Battiste, who is running for the Liberals in the riding of Sydney-Victoria, issued an apology earlier this week after the Toronto Sun shared past racist and sexist remarks he had made on social media. 

Battiste told the newspaper the posts were crude jokes he made at a different time in his life, but that he now realizes they were offensive.

During a campaign event in Plainville, Ontario this morning, Trudeau said Battiste has taken responsiblity for his actions and apologized.

Trudeau called the language in the posts unacceptable, but that he is pleased Battiste has apologized unreservedly.

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Trudeau sidestepped a question about whether he feels limited in his ability to censure candidates for past racist behaviours after photos and a video emerged in the first week of the campaign showing the Liberal leader wearing blackface makeup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2019.

The Canadian Press