(OTTAWA) Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre denounced a German politician on Friday after several Conservative MPs were criticized for meeting her while she was in Canada earlier in the week.
Tory MPs Dean Allison, Colin Carrie and Leslyn Lewis were pictured having dinner with Christine Anderson, Member of the European Parliament.
Mme Anderson represents the Alternative for Germany, a right-wing populist party that was placed under surveillance as a suspected extremist group by the German intelligence agency in 2021.
The party opposes immigration, promotes an anti-Muslim ideology and has been accused by Jewish leaders of minimizing Nazi crimes.
The party also denies that climate change is a man-made problem and has a friendly relationship with Russia.
Canadian Anti-Hate Network President Bernie Farber and at least two Canadian Jewish organizations have expressed concern that Canadian MPs are meeting with Mr.me Anderson.
“To be clear, Christine Anderson is a member of a racist, anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic far-right party,” Farber wrote on Twitter on Thursday. He maintained that the leadership of the Conservative Party had to denounce it loud and clear.
In a written statement responding to those concerns, Mr. Poilievre argues that Ms.me Anderson “are not welcome here”.
MEPs were unaware of the views of this visiting Member of the European Parliament, and they regret meeting her. Frankly, it would have been better if (Christine) Anderson had never visited Canada.
Statement by Pierre Poilievre
The three MPs said in their own statement that it is not uncommon to meet elected officials visiting from other countries.
“We were not aware of the views or associations of her and her political party. We neither share nor endorse his views and strongly condemn any racist or hateful views,” reads the statement attributed to MPs Carrie, Allison and Lewis.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it welcomed Mr. Poilievre’s clear rejection of the views held by Mr.me Anderson, but believes MPs should do a bit more research before agreeing to such meetings.
Mme Anderson did not respond to email requests for comment from The Canadian Press.
In a video interview with right-wing digital platform True North, posted on Twitter, Mme Anderson responded to Mr Poilievre’s statement and said she was “very sorry” that he felt this way.
All I can say is that I had a great time meeting his party members. I can’t think of a time when I was able to express hateful and racist opinions, as he says.
Christine Anderson, German MP for the Alternative for Germany party
Asked about the encounter at a news conference on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he thinks the Conservatives owe Canadians an explanation for what he called a pattern of conduct.
“Canadians need to stop being treated like fools and Conservatives need to admit and really dissociate themselves from hateful, vile and intolerant rhetoric, or tell the truth and explain that they actually have room for (this rhetoric) and intolerance within their party,” he said.
M’s tourme Anderson in Canada included stops in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, as well as a visit to a Family Day BBQ near Cambridge, Ontario.
During his stay, Mr.me Anderson appeared in a photo with members of the far-right group “Diagolon,” posing with the group’s flag. The group, described by the Ontario Provincial Police as an “extremist group”, is associated with the “freedom convoy” movement and opposes public health restrictions imposed by the government.
The party of M.me Anderson has also opposed COVID-19 restrictions and was a strong supporter of the convoy protests that blocked border crossings and streets in downtown Ottawa last year.
Mr Poilievre came under fire last summer after he was photographed shaking hands with Diagolon founder Jeremy MacKenzie at a Conservative leadership campaign event in Nova Scotia. He later denounced Diagolon as ‘losers’ and ‘dirty things’ after Jeremy MacKenzie and another band member spoke live about the possibility of sexually assaulting his wife, Anaida Poilievre.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier called Mr.me Anderson of “legendary” and praised his opposition to pandemic restrictions. On Friday, he called Mr. Poilievre’s statement about Ms.me Anderson of “disgusting” and “baseless attack on a brave woman”.
With information from The Associated Press