Windsor Prof Calling Trudeau Brownface Photo Shocking
"Shocking."
That's how University of Windsor Political Science Professor Lydia Miljan is describing a photo of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau wearing brownface makeup.
TIME Magazine published the photo of Trudeau in a costume, wearing brownface at an 'Arabian Nights' themed party in 2001.
Within an hour of the photo going public, Trudeau addressed the media expressing regret.
"I'm going to be asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did. I shouldn't have done that. I take responsibility for it. It was a dumb thing to do. I'm disappointed in myself. I'm pissed off at myself for having done it. I wish I hadn't done it, but I did it and I apologize for it."
Miljan says, with the election just over a month away, this could hurt the Liberal Party's chances.
"He gave a full-throated apology which is really important for him right now and it's one of those important things you do in any kind of crisis communications situation. In such a short campaign this could prove to be much more problematic for them because it's going to be that much more difficult for them to have time to recover."
She says the problem is the apology only came after Trudeau was caught.
"The problem for this is he knew that this picture was out there and he knew that he had this history with dress up, for lack of a better word. It would have made more sense if he released the photo when he started politics to say, "Full disclosure, I've had mistakes in my past, I'm not that person anymore."
Miljan says voters know this behaviour isn't acceptable now or 18-years ago.
"That's where he becomes vulnerable by having to issue the apology now given that this was something that he obviously knew he had done. This idea that it happened 18-years ago, 18-years ago isn't that long, we didn't tolerate blackface 18-years ago."
The picture appeared in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private school in British Columbia where Trudeau was a teacher at the time.
TIME Magazine obtained a copy of the yearbook from a Vancouver businessman who first saw the photo in July and "felt it should be made public."
The federal election goes October 21.
— with files from AM800's Kristylee Varley and CTV News