Post linking Poilievre to Winnipeg shootings was ‘inappropriate,’ says Liberal House leader 

Government House leader Karina Gould says it was inappropriate for one of her Liberal caucus colleagues to ask whether there is a link between Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and a fatal shooting in Winnipeg.

But Metro Vancouver Liberal MP Ken Hardie told The Canadian Press he stands by his social media post and is not sorry he made it.

Hardie posted Monday that the weekend shooting, which left four people dead in Winnipeg, was “beyond troubling” and asked if it was connected to a “burn everything down” attitude creeping in from the United States.

His post on X, formerly known as Twitter, then referred to “the ‘creep’ on the Canadian side” and mentioned the official Opposition leader by name.

Hardie also denies making a direct link to the shooting in Winnipeg, but notes he could have used a better example to make his point.

Hardie says he was planting a seed with a series of questions to confront the attitude of the Conservative party, which he believes is creating an environment where people feel hopeless.

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Federal Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman called Hardie “unhinged” for the social media post.

Lantsman referred to a previous instance when Hardie said Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels would be proud of Conservative MPs, calling Hardie “unhinged then” and “unhinged now.”

Conservative spokesman Sebastian Skamski said in a statement it was “appalling” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had “failed to denounce this shameful message” from Hardie.

Gould says she will be speaking to Hardie about his online post, but as of Tuesday morning Hardie says he hasn’t heard from any of his fellow MPs.