Liberal Parachuting of Ignatieff Sparks Uproar

TORONTO–The Liberal Party provoked strong protests from the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Federal Liberal riding association and Ukrainian-Canadians after the Party locked out two potential local candidates and parachuted in academic Michael Ignatieff.

The west-end Toronto riding association stated: “The intended coronation of Mr. Ignatieff, a virulent Ukrainophobe, is offensive to the numerous Ukrainian-Canadian residents of the riding, many of whom  have been members of the riding association for many years and form more than one half of the membership of the riding association.”

Etobicoke-Lakeshore had been held by Liberal Jean Augustine until she resigned on November 25, allowing Ignatieff to run in her place. 

The riding association’s president Ron Chyczij was then informed that other potential nominees had only 24 hours to submit nomination forms.

Chyczij and Marc Shwec, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Branch, both completed the paperwork in time.  When Chyczij arrived at Liberal Party headquarters before the deadline to deliver their forms, the doors were locked. Liberals inside refused to open the door. Chyczij  had to slip the forms under the door.

In response, the riding association's  members and Toronto’s Ukrainian-Canadians demonstrated on November 27 in front of Liberal headquarters in downtown Toronto.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) on November 27 called on Prime Minister Paul Martin “to withdraw his support of Michael Ignatieff’s nomination as a Liberal candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary elections.”

In his book Blood and Belonging Ignatieff writes: “Ukrainian independence conjures up images of peasant embroidered shirts, the nasal whine of ethnic instruments, phoney Cossacks in cloaks and boots, nasty anti-Semites.”

The UCC stated that “it will be difficult for Canadians to support a party that fields a candidate who makes such derogatory remarks.”

The Liberal Party said that Chyczij’s application was rejected because he had failed to resign from the riding executive, and Shwec’s because he was not listed as a Party member. The riding association stated that he had paid his dues earlier in the month.

Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding association members picketed outside Toronto’s University Club where Ignatieff was speaking at a business luncheon on November 29.  At the luncheon, Ignatieff stated his comments on Ukraine were cited “out of context.”

In Western Canada, community activist Andrew Hladyshevsky is in the  Federal Liberal nomination race in Edmonton Strathcona. His team is working to ensure his supporters come out to the nomination meeting on December 5.