Labour Leader Says Sorry To Jewish Community After Comparing Jason Kenney To Nazis

An Albertan union leader is in hot water for a recent comment. On Monday, July 13, Gil McGowan, the leader of the Alberta Federation of Labour, compared Jason Kenney's government to Nazis due to their new bill. On Wednesday, July 15, McGowan issued an apology to the Jewish community in the wake of reported backlash. 

McGowan took to Twitter on Monday to share his thoughts about Jason Kenney's government. 

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"Hitler's propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, famously said 'always accuse your enemies of what you are doing yourself.' That's exactly what's going on with Jason Kenney's union-busting Bill 32. It's the UCP & its corporate friends who are gaming the system," he wrote as a response to a tweet about Bill 32. 

Bill 32, as per CBC News, would let unions use membership fees to fund political organizations. 

In the same thread, McGowan continues, "And, yes, I'm accusing the UCP of adopting tactics pioneered by the Nazis and being implemented right-wing authoritarians today. Hungary, Turkey, Brazil, India. These are all countries led by authoritarians who Kenney calls friends. This is what we're up against." 

He finished the thread by writing, "Message to Kenney and his on-line incel army of offensive 'issue managers': we see what you’re up to. And we won’t let you get way with it!" 

Per Western Standard Online, the tweets got some serious backlash from people across Canada, particularly in the Jewish community. 

A Twitter account named "Jewish Calgary" posted saying that they've reached out to McGowan's office regarding the comments. 

Narcity has reached out to both McGowan and the Calgary Jewish Federation for comment and we will update this story when we receive a response. 

Jason Kenney also urged McGowan to apologize to the Jewish community. 

The apology arrived on Wednesday as McGowan released a statement on the group's website. 

"I, Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, apologize unreservedly for invoking the name of Adolf Hitler and the monstrous Nazi government of Germany, in my criticism of political tactics adopted by the UCP government of Alberta." 

McGowan said that he didn't intend on hurting the community. He also said that he's carried out conversations with Calgary Jewish Federation and the Jewish Federation of Edmonton. 

Those discussions reportedly made him realize that his comments could have brought back traumatic memories for Holocaust survivors and their descendants.