Harper Conservatives Re-elected to Form Minority Government

By John Pidkowich

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Conservative candidates were re-elected to form another minority government in Canada’s 40^th Federal Election, held on October 14. Preliminary election results show the Conservative increased their seats in the House of Commons to 143 while the Liberals, who remain as the Official Opposition under the leadership of Stephane Dion, decreased their sitting members of parliament to 76.

In hotly contested Toronto “416” electoral districts, Ukrainian Canadian Liberal candidate Borys Wrzesnewskyj decisively won and was re-elected as Etobicoke Centre MP with strong support from the riding’s Ukrainian community. In Parliament, Wrzesnewskyj has provided a strong voice on Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian issues to be addressed by Parliament notably, the Government of Canada’s response, official position and Canadian involvement in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, settlement redress for the Canadian Internment of Ukrainians during WWI, and promotion of the House of Commons all-party recognition of the Holodomor Famine in Ukraine 1932-33 as genocide. In other ridings with a large Ukrainian Canadian electorate, Etobicoke-Lakeshore Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff was re-elected over Conservative candidate Patrick Boyer, a former MP with a strong record of involvement with Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian issues. Parkdale-High Park’s New Democratic Party incumbent MP Peggy Nash was defeated by Liberal candidate Gerard Kennedy in a close race. Both candidates have a strong connection with the Ukrainian community, the latter being a former provincial minister and past Liberal Party leadership hopeful, having some Ukrainian heritage.

Among Toronto Area “905” ridings with large Ukrainian communities, Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was re-elected in Whitby-Oshawa and Paul Szabo was re-elected as the Liberal MP for Mississauga South. West of Toronto, a strong supporter of Ukrainian Canadian issues in Parliament and Kitchener-Waterloo Liberal incumbent Andrew Telegdi was defeated marginally by Conservative Peter Braid in a neck and neck race where a vote recount is necessary.

Around Southern Ontario’s “Golden Horseshoe” region, St. Catharines Conservative MP Rick Dykstra was re-elected, winning over former Liberal MP Walt Lastewka, a Ukrainian Canadian well-known to the local Ukrainian community.

 Ukrainian Canadian Candidates ran in Manitoba including NDP incumbent Judy Wasylycia-Leis with strong popular support, having regained Winnipeg North – the old stronghold of the Ukrainian community. Conservative MP James Bezan was re-elected in Selkirk-Interlake (north of Winnipeg), a riding with a significant Ukrainian Canadian population, in which this MP has grown in his Ukrainian Canadian roots. Both MP’s have supported all the major issues of Ukrainians in Canada, such as the Internment of WWI and the Holodomor Famine-Genocide in Ukraine 1932-33, among others. In particular, Bezan introduced his private member’s bill on parliamentary recognition of the Holodomor as genocide and national day of remembrance.

Other Manitobans not of Ukrainian heritage who were re-elected and have a track record of supporting Ukrainian Canadians include: Conservative Joy Smith in Winnipeg’s Kildonan-St. Paul riding who also chairs the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Committee; Conservative MP Inky Mark in Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, who has promoted and supported the Ukrainian Internment issue for years and recently honoured in Toronto by the Ukrainian community for his passion on the issue.

Further across the country, South-eastern Saskatchewan Conservative MP Ed Komarnicki was easily re-elected in Souris-Moose Mountain and is a Ukrainian Canadian. In Alberta with its large Ukrainian population, Conservative MP Peter Goldring was easily re-elected in Edmonton East and Conservative Secretary of State (for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) Jason Kenney hands-down won Calgary Southeast. Both of these non-Ukrainian MPs have supported all the major issues of Ukrainians in Canada.