Oakville mayor apologizes to veterans for controversial tweets

TORONTO – An Ontario mayor has apologized to veterans for controversial tweets about the Conservatives’ decision to hire veterans as additional security during the federal election campaign.

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton related the security at Stephen Harper’s campaign events to protection measures used by dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

The remarks prompted senior Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney to call for an apology, but Burton would only do so to veterans themselves and not the Tories.

Burton’s comments prompted outrage on social media, some of whom started using the Twitter hashtag- #ResignMayorBurton.

Burton says his comments weren’t about veterans specifically and that he wanted to start a discussion about parties that have enlisted private security.

Brian Edwards served in the local reserves and was in the military for 13 years.  He told the Eric Drozd Show that Burton can take his apology and shove it, adding the statement was intentional.

“It’s not right for him to compare the work we’ve done over the last number of generations to that of neo-nazi death-squads, to imply that we would harm our own citizens or intentionally put us on a political platform when we’re non-political.”

Edwards said that if Burton has a political axe to grind he should take it up with Harper, not soldiers and veterans.

Many have called for Burton’s resignation.

You can see Burton’s controversial tweet below.

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