Liberal MP says he didn't mean to suggest Poilievre was linked to deadly Winnipeg shooting

A B.C. Liberal MP says he didn't mean to suggest the Conservative leader was tied to a deadly shooting in Manitoba over the weekend in a controversial post on social media Monday. 

On Monday Ken Hardie, who represents Fleetwood-Port Kells, responded to the Winnipeg shooting that left four people dead calling it "beyond troubling" to see another mass shooting in Canada.

"Might it be the anti-social 'burn everything down' far-right attitude we're seeing creeping in from the U.S.?" he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"And the 'creep' on the Canadian side? Pierre Poilievre?"

The tweet caused outrage from the Conservatives. House leader Karina Gould called the comments "absolutely inappropriate."

Hardie told CBC he has since spoken to Gould and agrees any inference linking the Opposition party to the tragedy was inappropriate. 

"For that, I apologize," he said. 

WATCH | Liberal MP apologizes for tweet linking Poilievre and Winnipeg killings 

Liberal MP apologizes for tweet linking Poilievre and Winnipeg killings

12 months ago

Duration 1:55

Liberal MP Ken Hardie says he did not intend for people to get the impression that he was ‘directly linking the tragedy in Winnipeg to something the Conservatives had done.’

But Hardie said his original tweet asked bigger-picture questions about whether right-wing extremism is contributing to a rise in violence — questions that he believes deserve a closer look.

He accused Poilievre of spreading falsehoods and said "words do have consequences." 

Conservative spokesperson calls comments 'disgusting'

Conservative Party spokesperson Sebastian Skamski accused Hardie of making a "disgusting and outlandish" comment to distract from the government's record.

"In fact, deranged comments like these aren't one off exceptions but rather Justin Trudeau's entire game plan," Skamski wrote in a statement. 

Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman responded to Hardie's comments Monday night on the same platform, calling the post "unhinged." 

WATCH | Liberal House leader criticizes MP for tweet linking Poilievre and Winnipeg killings 

Liberal House leader criticizes MP for tweet linking Poilievre and Winnipeg killings

12 months ago

Duration 0:27

Government House leader Karina Gould says she will speak with MP Ken Hardie about his tweet, calling it 'absolutely inappropriate.' 

Lantsman raised a previous instance when Hardie said Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels would be proud of Conservative MPs.

"Unhinged then. Unhinged now," she posted. 

Hardie later deleted the Goebbels tweet and apologized in the House of Commons at the request of Speaker Greg Fergus.

On Monday Winnipeg police said no arrests had been made and no suspects had been identified.