Green Party leader Elizabeth May offered a Thanksgiving message of hope to Canadian Muslims left out in the cold by Stephen Harper’s fearmongering tactics ahead of the Oct. 19 federal election.
“We have to reassure Muslim Canadians that they are not hyphenated Canadians. They are Canadians. And we want to make sure that all new Canadians are welcome and are part of the rich tapestry of Canada’s success in the world,” May told National Observer.
“New Canadians strengthen the fabric of our society and we should never have a situation where people of one religion feel stigmatized.”
May’s comments come just days after she declared that Prime Minister Stephen Harper “should be ashamed,” of his election campaign, which has been dominated by a row over the wearing of niqabs at citizenship ceremonies, pledges to create a ‘Barbaric Cultural Practices’ tip line, and possibly banning the hearing of face coverings for anyone working for or doing business with the federal government.
However, the Green chief adopted a slightly more relaxed tone over Thanksgiving, spending time with a close friend on Monday, visiting the Galliano Island Spa and Inn with family, and attending a service for local conservationist Ken Millard, who recently passed away.
May also looked to the future, saying that by Thanksgiving 2016 she hoped to see a new federal government repeal legislation such as C-51, C-24, and the Fair Elections Act, to name but a few.
“Count your blessings because as Canadians we are very blessed and vote with your heart,” said May. “Vote with your hearts and for the country you love.”
Pumpkin politics
As May looked to the future, PM Harper’s Thanksgiving was spent in the Toronto-area riding of Markham-Stouffville with his family, where he held a photo-op at a pumpkin patch and spoke with its owner on Oct. 11.
According to the CBC, Harper’s appearance was interrupted by passing pumpkin-pickers who chanted “Trudeau! Trudeau!”
After stopping in Markham-Stouffville, the PM visited a seniors’ care home a few kilometres east in Richmond Hill.
On Oct. 12, Harper kept up the tempo at a campaign stop in Waterloo, Ontario, where he said that Liberal tax hikes could leave some families paying as much as $2,000 a year, according to the Canadian Press.
Trudeau and Mulcair hit the road for final week of campaign
No party leaders took Thanksgiving off, as Liberal leader Justin Trudeau spent the holiday with Port Hope candidate Kim Rudd, to the east of Toronto. His previous campaign stops included Ottawa and Napanee in eastern Ontario.
His NDP counterpart Thomas Mulcair started the holiday 2,000 miles away in B.C., hitting the campaign trail in Maple Ridge, B.C., before moving onto Saskatoon, where he re-stated his promise to introduce $15 per hour child care and also attacked Harper for signing the recently-signed Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact.
He denounced the deal as being a threat to Canadian manufacturing jobs and said it would make prescription drugs more costly.
"They know he's two weeks out from an election. You think he was going to get a good deal?" said Mulcair in remarks reported by CBC.
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