Conservative ad featuring Canadians detained in China pulled after family complains

A Conservative attack ad featuring the names and faces of two Canadian citizens detained in China has been pulled after one of the men’s families complained about the clip.

The fundraising video, which targeted the Liberals’ foreign policy record, used the names and pictures of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, misspelling Kovrig’s name as “Korvig.” The video, a link to which was included in a fundraising email last week, criticized the Trudeau government’s handling of the detentions.

By Wednesday, the link to the video was dead.

“As soon as we heard feedback from the families involved, of course we respected their wishes,” Conservative leader Andrew Scheer told reporters Wednesday.

The video has drawn criticism from the Liberal Party of Canada and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office.

“It's distasteful and deeply disappointing to see any politician fundraising off of Canadian citizens being arbitrarily detained abroad -- purely for their partisan gain, and against the wishes of loved ones,” read a statement from the party.

In a separate statement, Freeland’s office said, “Our government's priority is the welfare of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been arbitrarily detained. We commend Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor, and their families, for their fortitude and bravery under incredibly difficult circumstances. It is disappointing that the Conservatives would try to use this difficult situation for partisan political purposes.”