Justin Trudeau says he regrets what he said about then-Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau to Rolling Stone magazine.

The prime minister said in an interview that he sorry for his choice of words.

”The way I’ve framed it … doesn’t contribute to the positive spirit of reconciliation that I’d like to think I know may government stands for.  So, I regret those comments and the way it was characterized.”

(Chris Wattie / Reuters)

Talking about his 2012 charity boxing match with Brazeau, Trudeau ”I wanted someone who would be a good foil, and we stumbled upon the scrappy tough-guy senator from an Indigenous community.  He fit the bill, and it was a very nice counterpoint.  I saw it as the right kind of narrative, the right story to tell.”

Indigenous activists accuse the prime minister of using hurtful stereotypes in the description of the match.