Power and Influence: Don’t Miss the Chance

By Oksana Bashuk Hepburn

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Canada’s politics - federal and provincial - are poised to change.  Is our community ready?

The federal elections in 2011 brought in a Conservative majority for Prime Minister Harper.  The Liberal Party of Canada, which historically traded power and influence for the role of Opposition watchdog, failed to do both.  It squeaked in with 34 members handing over the Official Opposition to the New Democratic Party; a first in Canada’s history.

Meanwhile, the largest province, Ontario, which has see-sawed between Liberal and Progressive Conservative rule - the notable exception being the NDP government of Bob Rae (then NDP-er) - has seen its Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty resign creating a vacancy for the top post.

Canada’s Liberals are poised for change.  The Ontario provincial leadership convention will take place January 25, 2013, and the federal Liberals will follow with a leadership election April 14, 2013. The race is on; the stakes are high: who will lead a charge to bring the Liberals back into the Ontario and federal legislatures?

Politics is a subject close to the hearts of Ukrainian Canadians.  But it was the Conservative Party that produced the big names including Governor-General Ramon Hnatyshyn, Deputy PM Don Mazankowski. The Liberals have not matched these.  Yet, the opportunity is staring us in the face!

To date, Justin Trudeau is the darling of the Liberal establishment. He certainly has the cache: provenance; appearance; and recognizable name.  His weakness lies in the fact that he hasn’t “done anything” to prove his royal jelly; the renaissance goatee and a pair of boxing gloves don’t quite cut it.

There is much speculation whether the Ukrainian community’s “favourite son” Borys Wrzesnewskyj will give the man a run.  A most active and committed politician from Etobicoke (we were neighbours in Ottawa during his time in Parliament), he lost to a Conservative by a mere 26 votes, but that has not stopped him.  Borys Wrzesnewskyj attends a panoply of functions to show that he is keen to serve again.  He is expected to make a decision to run for the leadership in the next few days.  It will be a challenge to raise the much weakened Liberals; it may be that federally, they have nowhere else to go but up.  By running, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj indicates faith and commitment.  If he wins the leadership, it will be a first for the community. If he loses but the party gains, he stands a strong chance of being rewarded; perhaps a high-profile cabinet post. 

Gerard Kennedy, the former Ontario Minister of Education (2003-06) has declared that he is contesting the Ontario Liberal leadership.  A most likeable man, Gerard resigned his post to run federally against Michael Ignatieff.  He is well regarded among his peers in the Party and in the Ukrainian community.  He likes to say that he is “half” Ukrainian; his mother was Caroline Shumanski.

Both developments are excellent news for the community.  One - better both - leadership contestants will galvanize the Ukrainian community to get educated and involved in the policy issues, volunteer, and learn how to work the system. 

And there is more good news.  As Ontario Liberals move to choose their new leader, Yvan Baker plans to contest the nomination as the Liberal candidate in Toronto’s Etobicoke Centre, a process that we expect the Party to launch shortly.  The Liberal incumbent, Donna Cansfield has decided not to run again.  Mr. Baker has been active with the Party for many years and has worked with Donna and others, including Borys Wrzesnewskyj and Gerard Kennedy.  His mother, Myroslava Oleksiuk, is a leading light in the community perhaps best known as editor-in-chief of ePOSHTA (www.eposhta.com). His father is a businessman and entrepreneur who ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Parkdale High-Park in the 1993 Federal Elections.

A management consultant, who has advised companies in a range of industries to help them overcome pressing strategic challenges, Yvan Baker also teaches MBA students at York University.  He has a strong track record of service in the wider Toronto area community contributing to such pressing issues as supporting youth victims of violence and economic development.  He is well known in the Ukrainian community as an organizer and doer.  As past President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Ontario), he played an important role in the creation of the Ukrainian Heritage Day in Ontario.

Yvan Baker is set to go.  His immediate challenge is to generate as many memberships as he can for the Liberal Party in the Etobicoke Centre riding to provide a firm base to win the nomination.  The only way to do this is with the support of the community.  He needs you and when he calls don’t let him down.  Make the same commitment to Gerard Kennedy in his bid for the Ontario provincial party leadership and to Borys Wrsesnewskyj too.  Election time is power to the people time.  Use it in your best interest. 

Oksana Bashuk Hepburn comments on Canadian and Ukrainian political issues.

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Yvan Baker seeking provincial Liberal nomination in Etobicoke Centre