Trudeau’s black day

PM apologises as more ‘racist’ pictures surface

PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly apologised for his “absolutely unacceptable” behaviour, as decades-old additional images showing him in blackface makeup further rocked his reelection campaign.

Mr Trudeau, 47, was already under fire for an ethics lapse and other controversies, so the surfacing of photos and videos of him engaging in activities he himself termed “racist” dealt a fresh blow to his chances of keeping the job.

“I recognise that it is something absolutely unacceptable to do,” Mr Trudeau, who heads the Liberal Party, said during a campaign stop in Winnipeg.

“Darkening your face, regardless of the context or the circumstances, is always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface.

“I should have understood that then, and I never should have done it. The fact is that I didn’t understand how hurtful this is to people who live with discrimination every single day. I have always acknowledged that I come from a place of privilege, but I now need to acknowledge that comes with a massive blind spot.

“And for that I am deeply sorry, and I apologise.”

Earlier yesterday, broadcaster Global News released damning images of a young Mr Trudeau in ripped jeans and a T-shirt and wearing blackface makeup, which his campaign managers later said were taken “in the early 1990s”.

That followed Time magazine’s publication of a photo of him in dark makeup at an “Arabian nights” themed party 18 years ago. He also admitted to wearing similar makeup in his teens when he sang Harry Belafonte’s 1956 hit Banana Boat Song (Day-o) at a talent contest.

Mr Trudeau and his Leftwing Liberals won a landslide victory in 2015, but are this year in a tight contest against the rival Conservatives.