CNN
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According to CNN affiliate CBC, Canada’s federal Conservative Party has removed a promotional video released over the weekend that showed its party leader giving patriotic speeches while Russian fighter jets fly in the sky.
The video claims to show classic, down-to-earth Canadian scenes and landscapes, but has been heavily criticized online for including footage from other countries.
“The video has been removed – mistakes happen,” Sarah Fischer, communications director for the Conservative Party of Canada, said Monday, according to CBC.
In the video, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre talks about Canadian fighter jets conducting a training mission to “defend our homeland and our fatherland.” However, as his commentary continues, the video shows fighter jets that the Canadian defense minister identifies as Russian fighter jets.
“Shockingly, Mr. Poilievre’s dream for Canada involves Russian fighter jets (one Su-17 and one that looks like a Su-27) flying over our beautiful prairies on a ‘training mission’ while Russia continues its illegal, unprovoked war against Ukraine, ignoring the international rules designed to protect us all,” Blair’s office said in a press release on Monday, according to CBC.
Users captured the video, which continues to circulate on social media. Canadian New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Charlie Angus reshared it, pointing out that the video also includes archival footage from other countries. CNN also found that several of the videos were actually archival footage shot in other countries.
“Poilievre’s fake Canada, protected by Russian jets for Serbian families with a Venezuelan sunset, is attracting international attention,” Angus wrote on X.
Poilievre also tells the story of a father who drops his child off at school and then drives away, hearing the sound of hammers being used to build Canadian lumber, seeing farmers working in the fields and looking up into the sky at fighter jets.
“The same plane will soon be seen from a university campus, where children are hurrying to class… knowing that in class they will have the opportunity to discuss freely and fearlessly, without fear of censorship,” he says.
Users have pointed out that the video of the student looking at the jets actually comes from a Ukrainian university. CNN has also confirmed that the archive footage originates from Ukraine.
He talks about Canadian families of “the student, the welder, the kids, moms and dads” coming together at the end of the day to celebrate one of them being sober for ten years.
However, users are hilariously pointing out that the footage cut over his comment shows the family drinking wine to celebrate the occasion.
“I really thought this was a parody. This is Pierre’s imaginary Canada, where people kill food for dinner, drink wine to celebrate their sobriety, rely on Russian jets for protection, and confuse Ukrainian universities with Canada,” Angus wrote.
