Freedom Party of Ontario

- MEDIA RELEASE -

For immediate release



2006 Parkdale-High Park By-election (Ontario)

NDP CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY MP WHO WANTS HEZBOLLAH
REMOVED FROM CANADA'S LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

Ursomarzo Demands Answer from DiNovo:
Hezbollah Should Remain Listed as Terrorists?  Yes or No?


August 21, 2006, Parkdale-High Park - On her campaign web site, the NDP's Cheri DiNovo prominently displays an endorsement by the riding's MP, Peggy Nash, who was today reported to be demanding that the Hezbollah be removed from Canada's list of banned terrorist organizations.   Freedom Party's candidate, Silvio Ursomarzo, today wrote to DiNovo demanding to know whether she shares Ms. Nash's position on Hezbollah.  The letter follows:

"Dear Reverend DiNovo:

On your campaign website (www.cheridinovo.ca), under the heading "Endorsements", you prominently feature the fact that your campaign is endorsed by Parkdale-High Park's MP, Peggy Nash.  You are shown standing with her shoulder to shoulder.  She is, at this point, the only person whose endorsement you list.

Ms. Nash is in Lebanon on a tour arranged by the National Council of Canadian-Arab Relations, which has been critical of the Canadian government for not demanding an immediate ceasefire to the conflict in Israel and Lebanon.  According to a report by the CBC today, Ms. Nash yesterday said that Hezbollah should be removed from Canada's list of banned terrorist organizations.  Ms. Nash opined that "It's just not helpful to label them a terrorist organization...If the political parties can figure out a way to work with Hezbollah to try to get along internally, then we should perhaps take a cue from that."

Ms. DiNovo, Ms. Nash apparently regards Hezbollah's offensive shellings of Israel as somehow being morally equivalent to Israel's defensive measures in Lebanon; she appears to view Hezbollah has somehow having a righteous cause and reason for existence.  In my view, that position is both false and a threat to humanity around the globe.  Morality demands that we not allow Canada to be a place to raise funds for military offensives against rationality, democracy or freedom in Israel or elsewhere.

Given that you so prominently display Ms. Nash's endorsement on your campaign website, the voters of Parkdale-High Park have a right to know if you agree with her outrageous views on Hezbollah.  I want to give you the opportunity to answer three questions:

    1. Being a minister who regularly opines on the nature of good and evil, do you agree with Ms. Nash's view, which effectively regards Israel's military responses in Lebanon as being morally equivalent to Hezbollah's offensives on Israel?
    2. In your view, is Hezbollah a terrorist organization?
    3. In your view, should Hezbollah be removed from Canada's list of banned terrorist organizations?

Please note that I am sharing this letter, and will share your response to it, with the media, and will post it to my campaign website, so that the voters of this riding can know whether or not your views on Hezbollah differ from those of the rather outspoken person who has endorsed you, Ms. Peggy Nash."


For further details, contact:

Silvio Ursomarzo Campaign
Cell: ***-***-****
website: https://freedomparty.on.ca/ursomarzo
e-mail: **********



This media release distributed to all major news media.


Freedom Party of Ontario
240 Commissioners Road West
London, Ontario
CANADA N6J 1Y1

Tel: 1-800-830-3301
web: https://freedomparty.on.ca