Potential Conservative candidate Kevin O'Leary is blowing off suggestions he does not support members of Canada's military.
In an interview with NEWSTALK 1010's sister station CFRA on Friday, O'Leary said there's "nothing proud about being a warrior".
"War is a desperate outcome...peacekeeping is extremely noble," he continued.
O'Leary's former Dragon's Den co-star Arlene Dickinson called O'Leary's comments "disrespectful and off-base". Registered leadership candidate and former Minister of Veterans Affairs Erin O'Toole called on O'Leary to apologize to veterans.
"It's ridiculous to think I don't support the military, that's crazy," O'Leary told NEWSTALK 1010's The Rush on Monday afternoon.
"I support our soldiers as warriors and as peacekeepers, let there be no doubt about that. I've been very proud of them because I've lived with them in countries like Cyprus and Syria and Lebanon long before I ever was talking about this issue and I've seen the great work they do."
O'Leary intimated that he felt his comments had been taken out of context.
"We were talking about the military in the context of supporting it in perpetuity and we're not going to be able to do that in Canada because...our spending and our military procurement process, it's completely broken."
In Friday's interview O'Leary suggested Canada take on a peace-keeping role in Syria once the country in the grips of civil war comes to some level of stability, something he believes could happen in the next six months.
Nominations for leadership of the Conservatives close February 24. The party will choose its next leader on May 27.