This unexpected (and inaccurate) headline and story linking Freedom Party to the proceedings eventually became the catalyst that actually got Fp leader Robert Metz involved with the issue.
The Freedom Party of Ontario plans to turn London landlord Elijah Elieff into a symbol of their campaign to promote the right to discriminate.
Party president Robert Metz and several other party members attended Elieff's hearing before the Ontario Human Rights Commission board of inquiry Monday. Metz said the commission was unjust in investigating a complaint that Elieff discriminated against his Cambodian and Vietnamese tenants.
"What Mr. Elieff is being charged with is discrimination, which we feel is a basic right ... we believe that a person with his own property and livelihood has the right to discriminate on any grounds," said Metz.
Metz said Elieff's problem began when he allowed too many recent Asian immigrants into his his building.
"That's his problem. He's there because he doesn't discriminate. That's the irony of the situation."
Metz said his party is trying to alert the public to proposed changes that would broaden and strengthen the powers of the commission to investigate discrimination ingrained in a system as well as individual discrimination.
FULL STORY: Metz said the public doesn't know the full story about Elieff's problems and that he is a good example of a citizen who has suffered from bureaucratic harassment.
"We'll be telling his story from the beginning... if we have to go door to door to every house in the City of London."
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last updated on April 28, 2002