NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he’s spoken with Justin Trudeau about his history of wearing blackface, but that he won’t be used to “exonerate” the Liberal leader.
Singh made the comments in a sit-down interview with Global BC, ahead of announcing his “new deal for B.C.”
“I’ve said this before that I want to keep that conversation private, and really it’s not for me to accept the apology, it’s for the people that were impacted by seeing the prime minister make light of their skin colour, make light of their challenges, make light of their barriers,” Singh said.
“I wanted to be very clear that while I would accept a sincere gesture on his part to reach out to me, I didn’t want to be used as a checklist of steps taken to exonerate himself from the situation.
“It’s only Canadians that can make that determination.”
He went on to say there appears to be “two different Mr. Trudeaus” — one who supports multiculturalism in public, and one who mocks people of colour in private.
WATCH: Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh confirms run in B.C. byelection
Singh, who is running in the Burnaby South riding, announced three measures to tackle housing affordability in B.C. Wednesday morning.
READ MORE: Conservatives gain four-point lead as Liberals slip in wake of blackface scandal: Ipsos poll
Those include a $20-million fund to tackle money laundering, the creation of a beneficial ownership registry, and a 15 per cent federal foreign buyers tax.
Asked how he’d pay for his housing plan, Singh said it was a “matter of choices,” saying he would avoid Liberal spending commitments such as the Trans Mountain pipeline purchase or forgiveness of corporate loans.
WATCH: Justin Trudeau sits down with Global News in 1st interview since brownface scandal
Singh also addressed resource projects, another hot-button issue in B.C., where parties are vying for 42 seats.
The NDP leader said he wouldn’t let provinces veto projects, but would work with them to ensure there was common ground.
“When projects like a pipeline are imposed on a province without a buy-in, without a collaborate approach, they just don’t go ahead,” Singh said.
“What happens is they get caught up in court, there’s court challenges, the project doesn’t proceed.”
He said he would stop the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but refused to be pinned down on large B.C. liquified natural gas (LNG) projects, which are supported by the provincial NDP government.
“With respect to this project, I don’t want to give fossil fuel subsidies, I certainly don’t want to give penalties to a broken contract, and I don’t want to give billions of dollars to the fossil fuel sector,” Singh said.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who rallied supporters in Surrey, B.C. Tuesday night, was back in Ontario Wednesday with candidates in Thunder Bay.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer had events scheduled in Jonquiere and Quebec City. Green Leader Elizabeth May was scheduled to campaign in Halifax, and People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier was in Surrey to speak with the Surrey Board of Trade.