Ignoring queer vote the way to win Vancouver Centre: Tory candidate
FEDERAL POLITICS / Greenfeld says she won't compete for votes she can't win
Jeremy Hainsworth / Vancouver / Friday, September 11, 2009
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(Rachel Greenfeld, Facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Greenfeld/119367352513)
Ignoring the queer vote is the way to win the Vancouver Centre riding in a possible fall federal election, says a letter from the newly anointed Vancouver Centre Conservative Party candidate.

But, Rachel Greenfeld tells Xtra West, she won't ignore the queer community, but competing for votes long-time incumbent Liberal Hedy Fry has in her pocket is not a sensible campaign strategy.

"I'm not fighting Hedy Fry to get votes away from her that I know I can't win," she says. "I'm going to focus on the people who won't leave their apartments to vote."

However, the Greens, Liberals and NDP all say that approach is discriminatory and will backfire on the Tories.

Greenfeld, a social-networking company owner, says she's just returned from a party hopeful bootcamp, and is ready to run in one of the most heavily gay-populated ridings in Canada.

"If you are concerned with Conservative policy towards gay rights and abortion issues, I am pro-choice on both fronts and am more of a centrist than anything. I would not join a party that did not agree with me on these issues," she says in a letter sent to the Coal Harbour Residents Association by campaign manager Mark Ingram.

What that means, she says, is that she doesn't think people should involve themselves in others' lives.

"Live and let live. Paint your hair green. I don't care," the self-described libertarian says.

The Conservatives fielded gay candidates in Vancouver Centre in two of the last three outings to the polls.

The Conservative Party under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's leadership has a record of resisting gay rights issues.

In December 2006, MPs voted 175-123 against a Conservative motion calling for the government to introduce legislation restoring the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. Most Tories supported the bill. The bill aimed to defeat the Liberals successful introduction of legislation sanctioning same-sex marriage in 2005 after a series of court rulings said barring gay couples from marriage was unconstitutional.

In July this year, responsibility for the Marquee Tourism Events Program was taken away from Minister of State for Tourism Diane Ablonczy not long after she approved $400,000 for Toronto Pride. Saskatchewan Conservative MP Brad Trost told the anti-abortion website LifeSiteNews that Ablonczy was being punished for the decision.

Greenfeld says she has asked for assurances from the Conservative Party that it will not bring the same-sex marriage issue and abortion back to Parliament.

"They are no longer on the table," she says. "I had to have that absolutely clear. I couldn't stand for that. It goes against my sense of being a human being."

Harper and the Conservatives have been in power with two successive minority governments since January 2006.

Liberal Hedy Fry has held the seat since toppling Conservative Prime Minister Kim Campbell in 1993. And, she's running again she confirms.

She asks how Greenfeld hopes to represent all residents of the riding if she's not interested in all their votes.

"It represents an attitude that is so typical of the Conservatives," Fry says.

Deputy Green Party leader Adriane Carr already has her party's nomination for the riding.

She says Greenfeld has no hope of winning the riding without the queer vote.

"She's crazy," Carr says. "You just have to look at Stats Canada to see that the GLBT population is a quarter of the riding."

Vancouver Centre NDP riding association president Tim Armstrong, who's gay, says with the level of diversity in the riding, plans for the Conservatives to exclude any group won't be tolerated.

"It's shameful that anybody running as an MP would want to discriminate against a group of people based on sexual orientation that's protected under the Charter of Rights and the Human Rights Code.

"MPs represent everyone regardless of who they are. It's typical of the Conservatives," Armstrong says.

Armstrong says the NDP is just beginning its candidate selection process.

Fry won the riding in October 2008 with 19,506 votes. Conservative Lorne Mayencourt took 14,188, while then NDP candidate Michael Byers logged 12,047 votes and Carr, 10,354.

If an election is forced by a non-confidence vote in Parliament as promised by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, it would be the fourth return to the polls in five years.


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Reader Comments


 
Win it
This is an example of a riding where four candidates' votes are split so closely that a Conservative could conceivably win, even without increasing their vote from last time, when that party's values are out of step with most Canadians in that riding. The Liberals, NDP, and Greens share most of this riding's values, in varying proportions. Someone should drop out.
Randy, Windsor Ontario
09/12/09 2:25 AM EST
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Really THINK Before You VOTE
If I had one wish for this riding, it would be that gays would look in the mirror and realize that voting for the Greens, Liberals, or the NDP doesn't make them 'gay supporters' just because they vote the way they 'think' they should. The millions of tax dollars wasted by the federal Liberal Party over the decades and the millions of dollars that would be wasted into a deep black hole if the Federal NDP party was to ever win power and control over the country speaks volumes on the fact that many gay voters have little or no clue on how the country operates federally. Many gays are the first to scream bloody blue murder when taxes go up or services & programs are cut, BUT don't seem to realize why this happens. Also, on the crime front, take a moment to google & research various crime laws that let criminals off with lite sentences ( including gay bashing by the way) and you'll find that a federal Liberal party was in power when those laws were pasting. Please think before you vote for the party you 'think' you have to vote for because you're gay. Before you try to paint Greenfield as a boogie-man just because she's not an NDP'er or a Liberal, maybe it's time to re-think your voting choice based on facts. Facts like the Liberals telling gay's through-out Canada that the Conservatives would strip gay marriage rights. Last time I noticed (this morning actually) there's still gay weddings going on from sea to shining sea in this country.
J. Taylor, Toronto Ontario
09/12/09 3:39 PM EST
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They did try but lost the vote
J. Taylor you're absolutely right that the Conservatives haven't ended equal marriage in Canada, but they did try to do just that as was mentioned in the article, luckily they had a minority and lost the vote. Just because they were unable to end marriage equality doesn't make them queer friendly in any way, look at what happened to Diane Ablonczy just recently, she was punished by her party for having the gall to treat queers the same as anyone else by funding Toronto Pride. Its true there are elements within the Conservative party that aren't socially conservative and do support queer equality but they aren't the faction that's in control nowadays, its the social conservatives who have been calling the shots with Harper at the helm. At best queers are begrudgingly tolerated by the Conservative party but that doesn't make them queer positive, that may change someday if the old PC faction gains control at some point in the future but right now I wouldn't expect marriage equality to survive a Conservative majority gov't. and I seriously doubt any more queer festivals will get funded after the backlash to the funding of Toronto Pride this year. Why would any queer vote for them when there are other much more queer friendly parties to vote for? Besides the Cons have shown themselves to be poor financial managers and are only good at doling out tax cuts to those that need them the least, we need a gov't that can see beyond narrow self interest and divisive politics but that isn't the current Conservative party, regardless of orientation anyone who cares about our society needs to think about where the various parties stand on social well being, those are the facts that matter the most in my opinion.
Rich, Toronto Ontario
09/12/09 7:45 PM EST
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Can't wait to vote Conservative!
Time to get rid of the embarrassing loony-left drag queen we have now representing us. Hedy Fry is a bad joke.
ron, Vancouver Bc
09/13/09 1:39 AM EST
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Hedy Fry is "loony-left"???
Hedy Fry is "loony-left"??? Cripes, Ron, what we need *more* is to get rid of folks like you who seem to pop a woody over the feel of a jackboot pressing down against your windpipe. Keep your BDSM fantasies to your bedroom, and outta MY government, thanks anyway.
Nathanial, Slocan Valley BC
09/13/09 8:59 AM EST
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This isn't a joke
This Conservative candidate is insane. I'll stick with Hedy Fry, thank you very much.
Steven M., Vancouver BC
09/13/09 2:00 PM EST
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vive la hedy
The facts speak for themselves. The Conservatives have again and again voted against GLBT human rights. They have tried to block AIDS bills, and they wanted us to be in the George Bush war in Iraq. No thank you. THIS loony drag queen will stick with Hedy Fry.
Joan-E, Vancouver british columbia
09/13/09 2:20 PM EST
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A Response ....
Rich, thanks for your response to my posting. I respect what you have to say as well as your right to say it, BUT totally disagree with everything you said. I'll break it down by each point you made. First, the Conservative party kept a promise they made during that election to allow a free vote in the House of Commons on gay marriage - unlike the Federal Liberal Party that 99.8 percent of the time doesn't let their elected MP's vote as they see fit. Secondly, the Conservatives have in fact put tax payer's ( we are all tax payers btw - not just the wealthy) money into 'gay events' - just research Montreal events and follow the money. Diane Ablonczy's actions were NOT called into question because it was a 'gay event' but rather was because she didn't follow protocol when she signed the cheque. I for one, can never vote for the Federal Liberal Party after the decades of millions of dollars that were spent in Eastern Canada to buy votes. How many lives could have been improved with those millions of dollars ? How many programs that the Federal Gov't funds could have been saved with proper money management ? Do you not remember the pain and suffering that was felt in B.C. when Liberal Paul Martin cut millions & millions of dollars of transfer money to balance the budget ? You can't on one hand blame lack of spending on the Conservatives and then blame them for a deficit Try following the latest Federal Liberal leader (Iggy) on his ever changing policies. My head almost falls off trying to follow all the flip-flops. As for the Conservatives voting against human rights and AIDS bills that would have been good for gay people in Canada, this is the 21st century, not the 18th century. No Party in Canada would send Canadian society backwards. That kind of talking is just silly fear mongering - much like when Hedy Fry said in Parliament that there was burning crosses on the lawns of people living up North. Man was I embarrassed to be living in Vancouver Centre (at th
J. Taylor, Toronto Ontario
09/13/09 5:43 PM EST
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Just the facts, ma'am
Mr. Taylor, you are incorrect. The portfolio was taken from Ms. Ablonczy by the notoriously homophobic Tony Clement AFTER she granted funding to Toronto Pride. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/clements-role-in-dumping-ablonczy-under-scrutiny/article1286056/
Steven M., Vancouver BC
09/13/09 11:05 PM EST
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Feeling a little sorry
You gotta feel sorry for Ms. Greeenfeld. In the same way you feel sorry for someone who's about to get run over by a bus. She's going to put in a hard battle, her volunteers are going to really give it their all, but in the end she has no hope of winning. Not because of the devil in the blue sweater. Not because most of the MPs wearing blue in Ottawa are not pro-gay rights. It's because the Coalition of small c and Big C Conservatives leaves no room for a true moderate. The Conservatives can't come out and support gay marriage or abortion rights, because their grass-roots through the prairies would jump ship in seconds. Vancouver Voters are politically savvy. If they feel there's a chance that right-wing nut jobs will take over the country, you'll see them out in force to re-elect the only person capable of stopping them. Hedy may not be the best voice in Ottawa for Vancouver, but her presence dulls the chorus of people who do not have Vancouver's best interest in mind.
P. Topal, Vancouver BC
09/14/09 3:20 PM EST
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the full text of the letter....
I have been seriously contemplating running for the nomination of the Federal Conservative Party for Vancouver-Center. Having just attended a two-day candidate training boot camp in Ottawa to create context for myself, I have made the decision to officially throw my hat in the ring. Needless to say what I learned was inspiring and deeply meaningful to me as a woman, business owner, Vancouver resident, Canadian and a global citizen. I know that I have a huge challenge ahead, given that the nomination meeting is on 26 September, but I am filled with excitement at taking it on. I am writing to ask if you are able to join my team and help me make a run for it. What this means is, I need to sell memberships to the Conservative Party ($10) which people can buy online at: www.conservative.ca by clicking "join". Then, whomever signs up must show up on the 26th September and vote for me as the candidate. If we sign 300 people and they all show up, it is almost certain that I will become the candidate. I would like to point out that this must be in line with your own personal views on life. What I would like to contribute to our community is a fiscally conservative platform based on helping small businesses survive and thrive by controlling our tax rates and limiting bureaucracy. We also need to bring the film industry back to BC, focus on letting people take initiative and creating a generous environment for entrepreneurs, and also on helping boost our relationship with Ottawa and extend our ties with the Latin American region. In line with the Conservative ideology, I believe we need to create a live-and-let-live society vs the over-regulation we currently suffer. I would also like to make sure that our Vancouver residents have a voice in the House of Commons and that BC does not continue to appear like a separate country more closely aligned with Seattle and San Francisco than with Toronto and Halifax. I believe I will be able to take out Hedy Fry by concen
doug, vancouver bc
09/16/09 1:33 AM EST
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text of letter continued...
I believe I will be able to take out Hedy Fry by concentrating on everyone but the gay voter, by focusing on those of us who have been ignored for the past 17 years of her term. That means: Coal Harbour, downtown, Yaletown, False Creek, Fairview, and Kits. This riding runs from 16th Ave to the end of Stanley Park, from Main St. to Arbutus. There are a great many people in this area who are not being serviced by Dr. Fry. If you are concerned with Conservative policy towards gay rights and abortion issues, I am pro-choice on both fronts and am more of a centrist than anything. I would not join a party that did not agree with me on these issues. I am very much looking forward to this next adventure and to being able to create community on a larger scale and a sound economic future for Vancouver Centre. May we all grow together!
doug, vancouver bc
09/16/09 1:39 AM EST
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Hedy
Is a drag queen? What a stupid thing to say.
Marc, Vancouver BC
09/21/09 9:10 AM EST
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Do we understand what we read....
I have just read the article on the queer vote issue after a friend phoned me to say YOU have to READ this. I read it and then I read the responses. I have to say I have not been left with most of the thoughts my fellows have been left with. No where in the article does it say that Ms Greenfield is against the gay community. It states quite clearly that her concerns are broader for the West End then JUST the gay community. She s not going to compete for the gay vote is what is stated noting that she is focusing on all constituites in Vancouver Central. Let s be inclusive of all that is going on. The West End is made up of many cultures and sub cultures not just they gay community. We have had to face eviction, overcrowding, homelessness, etc. When I look at the numbers presented in the article on those who have voted, there are many more people in the West End then the numbers represented, and she is simply attracting them to the polls. As far as Ms Fry is concerned anyone can run against her. She is not an institution. One commentator goes on to say something about the feel of a jackboot pressing down against your windpipe!!! If that is in relation to hate crimes, Ms Fry has been in office LONG enough to have had some piece of legislation PASSED by now. Focusing on the broader constituent including the gay community that already votes, will produce favorable results in the over all next Federal Election.
Raymond, Vancouver BC
09/26/09 1:04 PM EST
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J Taylor's funny
Let's stick with the funniest bits: 1) Harper's government has been far more secretive and his MPs far more cowed into silence and driven to follow the party line than the Liberals ever have. MPs not towing the line are summarily smacked down. Ablonczy is the latest example of this. Whipped votes are to be expected in a parliamentary democracy, and ALL parties engage in it. 2) the Conservatives would (and WILL) strip gay marriage rights the first chance they get. The fact they haven't already is a function of them being a minority government and don't have the votes. A Conservative majority is something all Canadians should fear. 3) the Liberals brought fiscal sanity (balanced budgets, debt reduction) to the budget after years of Mulroney's deficit spending.. in spite of the Liberals horrible misuse of funds. The Liberals may also be unpleasant, but their social policy is far more aligned with Canadian values. The Conservatives, especially in their current incarnation, are simply no good for Canada, and are an extreme threat to the well being of the gay community.
Dan, Toronto Ontario
09/30/09 8:36 AM EST
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Not so Funny Now ....
Dear Dan, if we take each of your points one at a time, you are merely considering what ifs as what might happen. Unless you have some kind of very rare ability to see into the future, all your doom and gloom predictions (ie: gay marriage being struck down) are all just pure speculation on your part. What is true though, if you were to actually do some research on how the Federal Liberal Party of Canada paid down the deficits it was mainly the billions of federal tax dollars the Fed's stop sending to the various Provinces. Don't you remember all the funding and various programs that many Provinces had to chop and cut ? Gay marriage is here to stay in Canada. No Gov't in their right mind would reverse that law. If they did, other countries, not to mention millions of gays in North America and around the world would make such a fuss that the Gov't would have no choice to back down. So please, get your head out of the sand and stop spreading fear among people who are easily led astray. P.S. I'm in no way a fan of Mr. Mulroney's, BUT, once again he need to do some research - staring with the Liberal Party and the various corruption charges and court case against various people within your Liberal party. It really is shameful when you see on your screen with your own eyes just how many it been. One last thing (on a lighter side) even the most Liberal gay person has to admit that Hedy Fry is a total wack job !
Jeff Taylor, Toronto Ontario
10/02/09 11:55 PM EST
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