Canadian conservatives mistakenly use Russian jets in promo video
10:04 AM EDT, August 20, 2024
Canadian Conservatives used footage of Russian fighter jets supposedly defending Canada in a promotional video on social media, Canadian media reported on Monday. "The video has been removed; mistakes happen," commented a party spokeswoman.
The Conservative Party of Canada posted a video on social media over the weekend in which it promotes itself as a party supporting Canadian values.
The footage included a scene where party leader Pierre Poilievre talks about fighter jets prepared to "defend our home and native land," a quote from Canada's national anthem. Following this, the video showed Russian-made fighter jets, reported public broadcaster CBC as quoted by PAP.
The matter was addressed by the press office of Canada's Ministry of Defense, which stated in a communiqué that during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, "in Mr. Poilievre's shocking visions of Canada, there are Russian fighter jets, one Su-17 and another resembling an Su-27, flying over our beautiful prairies on a 'training mission,'" quoted by the Canadian Press agency.
Canadian conservative spokeswoman: Mistakes happen
Conservative spokeswoman Sarah Fisher explained the blunder, mentioning that, for example, the Liberal Party used images of actors, not real voters, in promotional material from 2011. She stated that "the video has been removed, and mistakes happen."
However, as opposition New Democratic Party parliamentarian Charlie Angus pointed out, it's one thing to use images of actors and quite another to have "an entire fantasy where Russia, America, and Serbia represent a vision of our country's future."
The Su-17 is a ground-attack aircraft from the 1970s, already retired from the Russian army. The Su-27 is a contemporary interceptor, currently taking part in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
