1. Quake relief or death camp liberation? Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj is livid about Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s trip to Poland this week. Referring to the minister’s visit to Auschwitz as a “jaunt,” the Toronto MP says Mr. Kenney should be here, or in Haiti, dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
Mr. Kenney left on Sunday for Poland where he is to attend the 65th anniversary ceremonies of the liberation of the Nazi death camp. Mr. Wrzesnewskyj contends that Mr. Kenney is also taking some time to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine where miners built an underground cathedral and carved statues from the salt; there is a salt statue of the late Pope John Paul. “Now that is wonderful but that could wait two or three weeks, especially at a time when he has this humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti, which his department has not been handling well.”
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s ire was raised after the Prime Minister's Office sent out a list of ministers who were at work yesterday to show that despite the prorogation their MPs and ministers were busy. Mr. Kenney’s travels were listed and Mr. Wrzesnewskyj seized on that as an opportunity to criticize the minister.
“If he wanted to visit a cathedral, why not visit the cathedral in Port au Prince? That’s his responsibility when there is an emergency of this sort.”
He says the government has done well in handling the emergency and humanitarian response but falling down on the immigration front. “How can he take off on this jaunt? As much as I agree, he should go to Poland and it’s a great trip. Put it off for three weeks until you get your department up to speed on the humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed,” Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said. “I’ve been to Auschwitz. It’s horrific. … it should be compulsory for every elected official. Every person that has an opportunity should visit because it just brings … how horrific that genocide was … but you have a catastrophe on your hands right now.”
Mr. Kenney’s spokesman, Alykhan Velshi, called Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s comments “disgusting.”
“It's pretty low for the Liberals to criticize a minister for representing the Canadian government at Auschwitz concentration camp on the 65th anniversary of its liberation,” he said. “And it's disgusting, but not surprising, that Borys Wrzesnewsky would call an Auschwitz visit a ‘jaunt.’”
He defended his minister, saying he has been working “around the clock” on expediting the adoption of Haitian orphans and family class applications. Mr. Kenney was there to greet the first plane load of 24 orphans on Sunday morning and the next large group of adopted children from Haiti to arrive in Canada tomorrow.
Mr. Velshi also disputed the Liberal MP's version of Mr. Kenney's agenda. "A visit to a salt mine is not, nor has it ever been, on the Minister's itinerary," he told The Globe.
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj, meanwhile, is no stranger to controversy. In 2006, he caused a firestorm of debate when he suggested Canada should negotiate directly with Hezbollah, which is on Canada’s list of terrorist organizations. He was forced to resign his post as deputy foreign affairs critic and was severely criticized at the time by Mr. Kenney and then-public safety minister Stockwell Day.
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Update Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is calling for an apology over the Liberal MP's comments.
"Mr. Wrzesnewskyj's criticism of the fact that Minister Kenney will be in Auschwitz to pay tribute and honour those who suffered Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust is a sad indication of his ignorance," he said in an email to The Globe. "Mr. Wrzesnewskyj's comments echo statements that Michael Ignatieff has also made, such as accusing Israel of committing 'a war crime' during its conflict with Hezbollah.
"Mr. Ignatieff should ask his MP to retract his comments and apologize to those who still bear the scars of the Holocaust."
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The crowd listens to a presentation at the Hill Helps Haiti earthquake-relief fundraiser in West Block on Monday, Jan. 25, 2010.
2. From pie in face to Haiti fundraiser. Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was among the 500 or so MPs, ministers, Parliament Hill staffers, lobbyists and journalists who showed up last night for the Hill Helps Haiti fundraiser (we'll have more on the event later today). Organizers estimate about $30,000 was raised.
And it did not go unnoticed that Ms. Shea showed up at the event as earlier in the day she was “pied” as she gave a speech in Burlington, Ont. by an anti-seal hunt protester from PETA. The protester has been charged with assault and Ms. Shea is carrying on with her duties with strengthened resolve.
3. Poets bad; farmers good. Heritage Minister James Moore’s new funding rules will hurt smaller magazines - mostly literary arts journals and scholarly publications - but, interestingly, three farm-related publications - The Western Producer, Canadian Cattlemen and Grainews - are exempted from the funding cap.
Are the Conservatives, who have been viewed in the past as anti-arts and culture, simply playing to their base? Not so, says Mr. Moore’s spokeswoman, Deirdra McCracken. She says the farm publications are exempted in recognition of “their special importance to Canada’s rural and agricultural character.”
“Farm publications serve largely rural communities and provide information crucial for both the operations of farms, and for farming communities and families. They are a key source of information for these communities.”
And poetry and short stories are not.
(Photos: Michel Spingler/AP and Bill Grimshaw for The Globe and Mail)
