2006 Parkdale-High Park By-election (Ontario)

Ursomarzo Still Waiting for DiNovo's Response to Pro-Hezbollah Comments

Campaign Still Boasts Endorsement by MP Peggy Nash, "Team" Member

August 23, 2006, Parkdale-High Park - Freedom Party candidate Silvio Ursomarzo today is expressing concerns about NDP candidate Cheri DiNovo's silence in response to comments made by her "team" member, federal NDP MP Peggy Nash.  Cheri DiNovo's campaign website (www.cheridinovo.ca) still features an endorsement by the riding's federal MP, Peggy Nash, who was reported Monday to have concurred with the idea that Hezbollah should be removed from Canada's list of banned terrorist organizations.  Nash's endorsement reads:

"Cheri DiNovo is well known and respected for her work in our community.  Together, we'll make a strong team speaking out for the needs of this riding and for our city. - Peggy Nash, MP Parkdale-High Park" (emphasis added)

In an open letter sent via e-mail on Monday, August 21, 2006, Ursomarzo gave DiNovo the opportunity to distance herself from Nash's comments about 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?

"On behalf of the voters of Parkdale-High Park, I essentially asked Ms. DiNovo to re-assure us that she does not share Ms. Nash's views about Hezbollah", said Ursomarzo today.  "However, to date, the DiNovo campaign has remained silent.  DiNovo has neither pulled Ms. Nash's endorsement nor expressed any disagreement with Ms. Nash's views on the anti-Semitic Hezbollah organization and its anti-Israel agenda.

"Hezbollah is an organization whose goal it is to remove Israel from the map.  It is, by its nature, a murderous, anti-Semitic organization.  For a Canadian to promote the toleration of Hezbollah's fundraising activities in Canada, as Ms. Nash has, is for a person to tolerate fundraising for the slaughter of human beings.  It is morally repulsive. 

"If it is merely the case that Ms. DiNovo has not yet had the opportunity to check her messages and respond, then I will be among those most happy to receive her response.  However, I think that were Ms. DiNovo to try to win this by-election with the unqualified endorsement of someone who holds Ms. Nash's views about Hezbollah, that would be most unfortunate. I sincerely hope that Ms. DiNovo does not remain silent."

For further details, contact:

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

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