BC Conservative candidate called Indigenous people ‘savages’ on election night

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad has condemned comments by 1 of his candidates who could inactive triumph a spot successful the legislature and would beryllium captious to his chances of forming government.

Marina Sapozhnikov finished a precise adjacent 2nd to the NDP campaigner successful Juan de Fuca-Malahat, triggering a recount.

Sapozhnikov was recorded making racist comments astir Indigenous Peoples during an predetermination nighttime interrogation with Vancouver Island University pupil Alyona Latsinnik, who shared the signaling with Global News.

“They didn’t person immoderate blase laws. They were savages. They fought each different each the time,” Sapozhnikov said astatine 1 constituent successful the hour-long interview.

“Not 100 per cent savages, possibly 90 per cent savages,” she added.

At different constituent successful the interview, Sapozhnikov claimed “90 per cent of Indigenous radical usage drugs.”

The comments came aft Latsinnik told Sapozhnikov she was taking Indigenous studies astatine university.

“It’s been 5 years since 2019, since we started information and reconciliation, and it seems similar we’re not that acold along,” Latsinnik told Global News. “And this hatred and this onslaught connected Indigenous identities and the information is beauteous shocking, and it’s beauteous scary, and it’s truly an onslaught connected the full tract of Indigenous studies.”

In a connection to Global News, BC Conservative Leader Rustad said, successful part, that helium was “appalled and profoundly saddened by the caller comments.”

Rustad added that Sapozhnikov’s words “are not lone inaccurate but profoundly harmful, coating a distorted representation of the communities I person worked alongside for galore years.”

Kamloops Centre Conservative MLA-elect Peter Milobar, who joined into a First Nations family, took to societal media to accidental helium was “outraged and filled with sadness.”

“I privation to beryllium crystal clear, the comments made by BC Conservative campaigner Marina Sapozhnikov regarding Indigenous radical are reprehensible and I bash not condone them oregon stock those views successful immoderate mode signifier oregon form,” Milobar added.

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BC NDP Leader David Eby responded to the contention connected societal media.

“Is John ‘appalled’ and ‘saddened?’ He picked these candidates. He’s inactive supporting and cheering for them. This is simply a caller level of gross,” helium wrote.

Sapozhnikov is awaiting the results of a recount that could find who forms the provincial government.

As of the predetermination nighttime count, nary enactment had the required 47 seats to clasp a bulk successful the legislature. The BC NDP held 46, the BC Conservatives held 45, and the BC Greens held two. However, if Elections BC’s last number and recounts successful Sapozhnikov’s riding and the different adjacent contention successful Surrey City Centre flip those seats to the Conservatives, the BC Conservatives would signifier a bulk government.

Rustad did not remark connected what volition hap if Sapozhnikov ends up winning the seat.

“It’s shocking, precise concerning that she could beryllium an MLA for this area. I unrecorded successful this riding, and I cognize that she does not correspond what radical think,” Latsinnik said.

Latsinnyk added that the candidates’ comments spell beyond conscionable the election.

“It conscionable seems similar this is conscionable a immense PR happening for the Conservatives, yet there’s not a batch of thought enactment into conscionable however harmful these comments are and however they represent and amusement conscionable however heavy the assemblage communicative has sunk into our society,” she said.

Earlier successful the campaign, BC Conservative campaigner for Surrey South Brent Chapman was forced to apologize aft decade-old racist societal media comments surfaced – they included a station calling Palestinians “inbred” and “little inbred walking talking breathing clip bombs.”

Sapozhnikov has yet to respond to a petition for comment.