Opposition MPs say they got Olympic snub
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | 8:00 PM AT
CBC News
Grand Parade is to be the site of Halifax's Olympic torch celebrations next week. (CBC)The four opposition MPs for the Halifax area say they have not been invited to any Olympic torch relay events and are blaming the Conservative government for "petty politics."
New Democrat MP Megan Leslie, who represents the riding of Halifax, caucus-mate Peter Stoffer, who represents Sackville-Eastern Shore, as well as Liberals Geoff Regan of Halifax West and Mike Savage of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour all said they had not received invites to see the torch brought in to the city next week.
There are no Conservative MPs who represent ridings in the Halifax area.
"I haven't been invited," Leslie told CBC News on Wednesday.
She said all MPs had gotten a document at the House of Commons outlining where the torch was going throughout the country.
"Dots on the map, what cities they were going to hit," she said. "That was the first I learned that Halifax was actually a celebration city."
The main event in the city is on Nov. 18 at Grand Parade outside Halifax City Hall. The celebration, co-sponsored by the Halifax Regional Municipality and the federal government, will also feature Cole Harbour native and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
"It's so standard of the Conservatives," said Stoffer. "They tend not to invite any of us in opposition to various public announcements, be it funding arrangements for a particular facility in your riding or something of this nature.
"It should be non-political and I'm not sure why the Conservatives continue to leave out other people from other parties at all levels in these events, but I guess that's just their nature."
Opposition MPs outside metro Halifax are involved in relay events.
When contacted by CBC News, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games denied the charge made by the four MPs.
A VANOC spokesperson said there are no politics involved in any aspect of the torch relay and said MP invitations are a matter for local event organizers.
An official with the Department of Canadian Heritage said Sports Minister Gary Lunn had issued an invitation to all MPs across Canada to participate in relay events. Regan said he hadn't gotten one.
"Is it any surprise that this government would behave that way?" he said. "They have a record, I think, of not having much respect for the democratic process or for opposition members. They treat opposition members as the enemy."
Leslie said she still intends to be at the celebrations next Wednesday.
"I think it'll backfire on them," she said. "People see through this."
