Harper Holds Rally at UNF Hall

By Olena Wawryshyn

TORONTO-Conservative leader Stephen Harper attended a Party rally, which took place at the Ukrainian National Federation, Toronto Branch’s Community Centre on January 12.

Harper and other prominent Conservatives were rallying to support Conservative candidate John Capobianco, who is running in a close race against Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal candidate who was parachuted into the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

Speaking to a capacity crowd of supporters, among them many Ukrainian-Canadians, Harper said: “On January 24, I predict people are going to wake up and they’re going to see Michael Ignatieff going back to Harvard, and John Capobianco going to Ottawa.”

The acclamation on November 30 of Ignatieff, who has lived outside of Canada for 30 years and has written negatively about Ukrainians and Ukrainian independence in his book Blood and Belonging, provoked strong protests from the Liberal riding association and Ukrainian-Canadians. In the process, the Party locked out two other potential local candidates, Marc Shwec and Ron Chyczij, and prevented a nomination race from taking place. The controversy reverberated across the country and has been one of issues that came up repeatedly during the election campaign in connection with discussions over the need to uphold democracy in federal politics at all levels.

The Conservative leader was also drumming up support for other local Conservative candidates. Ukrainian-Canadian Conservative Jurij Klufas, who is running in Parkdale High Park, and other Etobicoke and west Toronto Conservative candidates all shared the stage with Harper at the rally.

Harper took the opportunity to reiterate the Conservative Party’s election platform. “The first Bill that I will present if I am elected Prime Minister will be the Federal Accountability Act,” said Harper.  He noted that the plan has 50 new measures and that the bill will “end the influence of big money in federal political parties…will toughen rules governing lobbying…give more power to independent officers of Parliament, like the Ethics Commissioner and the Auditor General.…and will give real protection to whistle blowers.”

Other key issues that have been front-and-centre in the party’s election platform were also mentioned by Harper, including lowering crime, reducing health-care waiting times through a wait-time guarantee, cutting the GST, childcare credits, tax breaks for users of public transit, providing more support for trades people and working on addressing the issue of foreign credentials of immigrants.

Former Progressive Conservative Finance Minister Michael Wilson, who is the Conservatives’ election campaign co-chair, introduced Harper at the start of the rally.

Opera singer Olenka Slywynsky opened the event with the singing of “Oh Canada.

 PHOTO

L. to R.: Michael Wilson, Stephen Harper, Axel Kuhn, John Capobianco, Harper's wife Laureen, Jurij Klufas