TORONTO — MP Joe Volpe, the Liberal who has held the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence since 1988, thinks his constituents are ready for a new prime minister.
From left, Paul Baker, Joe Oliver, Joe Volpe
“I’m always cautious, but I think that my constituents are looking to get rid of [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper, and they see me as a way to get that done,” said Volpe, a former cabinet minister who is running once again against Conservative candidate Joe Oliver, as well as first-time Green Party candidate Paul Baker. As of The CJN’s deadline, the NDP candidate, Justin Chatwin, had not returned calls for comment.
Eglinton-Lawrence is bordered in the north by Highway 401, in the south by Eglinton Avenue West, in the east by Yonge Street, and in the west by the CN line. According to the 2006 census, the riding’s population is about 110,000, and 39 per cent of the residents are immigrants. About 17 per cent are Jewish and 11 per cent Italian.
The average family income is $162,855, third-highest in Canada, and the unemployment rate is 5.6 per cent.
The riding has been held by the Liberals since its creation in 1979, although Volpe only defeated Oliver by slightly more than 2,000 votes in 2008, after besting a different Tory candidate by 12,000 votes in 2006.
An educator who was brought up in Toronto, Volpe said that his party’s position on Israel is that it has a right to exist within borders that are internationally recognized and defended.
“Israel’s values are our values, and those values are Judeo-Christian. We have the same basis in culture, religion and politics. We don’t always agree, but we have the same democratic values. Israel is our window on the dynamics in the [Middle East]. Antisemitism has insidious ways of eating away at that friendship.”
He noted that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff spoke on the issue of antisemitism at the second annual conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA), held last year in Ottawa.
As well, he said, at the conference of the Inter-parliamentary Committee for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA), held in London, England, in February 2009, the Liberal party sent the largest group of all parliamentarians.
“As a movement, antisemitism needs to be fought vigorously,” he said.
Volpe said he’s happy that Bill C-442, An Act to Establish a National Holocaust Monument, was enacted into law just before the government fell. “It took entirely too long for something that had unanimous consent from the House. Such a monument is not only important to Holocaust survivors. It is important to everyone. It is of national significance.”
Oliver, an investment banker, said he has gotten a positive response from constituents. “More and more people are volunteering for the campaign, and people are welcoming us at the door.”
He said that Israel is an important issue in the riding, and “Canada has consistently voted against attempts to criticize Israel in international organizations. The prime minister stands out as a beacon in his support and in his stand against one-sided criticism.”
Harper’s government is very concerned about hate crimes, Oliver added, “and Canadians can count on them to defend human rights and oppose antisemitism, because that is the right thing to do.”
He said the government is also conscious of the dangers of communities at risk, and, in that vein, through Public Safety Canada, has pledged an additional $1.6 million annually for security upgrades at nonprofit institutions such as community centres and places of worship.
Baker, the Green candidate, said he’s found constituents frustrated that there is another federal election. “They understand why, but the appetite just isn’t there.”
His party’s position on Israel is that it has a right to exist within recognized borders and that it should enjoy peace and security similar to the peace and security felt by Canada and the United States, said Baker.
All Canadians deserve to be protected against hate crimes, he said. “No one is on the wrong side of the fence. No one should be elevated, and everyone should be protected.”
He said he’d like to see the government spend more on teaching youth that hate crimes are not acceptable. “Hate is a learned thing. There is no reason for such behaviour in a forward looking society such as ours.”
He is also happy about the passing of Bill C-442. “People should never forget or lose sight of the Holocaust, and again that takes us back to education. We cannot ignore such events. It is worrisome that one group could be blamed for society’s problems.”