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Government Relations Committee Report; Tue., June 04, 2002

(1) No response from Cauchon/Coderre for meeting with UCC_National Justice Committee:

- The National Justice Committee is asking for a meeting with Alliance Justice Critic, Diane Ablonczy, in Ottawa ASAP. The Alberta Government Issue Committee will ask for a meeting with Ms. Ablonczy in her Calgary riding to supplement the national one.

(2) No response from Cauchon/Coderre to letter from Eugene Harasymiw dated April 01, 2002:

This letter, written on behalf of the Alberta Ukrainian Self-Reliance League, is archived at
http://www.willzuzak.ca/tp/odynsky/harasymiw20020401.html

(3)Coderre recommends revocation of citizenship of Wasyl Odynsky on May 01, 2002:

In the last paragraph of a short letter to Eileen Boyd, Assistant Clerk of the Privy Council, dated May 01, 2002, Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, states:

“I have decided to proceed with my Report to the Governor in Council recommending the revocation of Mr. Wasyl Odynsky’s citizenship. Please ensure that the enclosed Report, and all attachments, are forwarded to the Special Committee of Cabinet for action.”

Olya Odynsky Grod was informed of this decision on Thursday, May 23; it was announced on E-poshta on Monday, May 27; Ms. Grod faxed a copy of the letter to Eugene Harasymiw on May 29, 2002.

(4) Marco Levytsky was in Toronto over the weekend and attended the Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Wing of the Liberal Party of Canada (May 31-June 2, 2002). He reports that during the accountability sessions (which followed the staged Chretien lovefest) of the Friday May 31 session, Boris Wrzesnewski, President of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Federal Liberal Riding Association (the riding represented by newly-appointed Minister of Multiculturalism and the Status of Women, Jean Augustine) posed a direct question to John Manley as Deputy Prime Minister (in the absence of Denis Coderre who is from Quebec) about the recommendation to revoke Odynsky’s citizenship despite the fact a judge found him innocent of war crimes, noting then Justice Minister Allan Rock’s 1995 stipulation that no proceedings will be considered unless there is evidence of criminality. Manley said he had no information so would take it under advisement. He did, however agree to follow up. Rock (who represents Etobicoke Centre, which borders Etobicoke Lakeshore on the north, offered no public comment. Wrzesnewski subsequently presented a brief on the Odynsky case to both Manley and Brenda Kruczak, President of the Ontario wing of the Federal Liberal Party.

The following day, June 01, 2002, during the policy session of the five regions, the Southwest Region overwhelmingly approved a resolution sponsored by the Kitchener-Waterloo Riding Association (represented by Andrew Telegdi) calling upon the Government of Canada to “ensure that in cases of citizenship revocation, questions of fact and law, guilt or innocence must be determined by the normal judicial process, free of political interference.”

Presumably, this resolution is identical to the one archived at
http://www.willzuzak.ca/tp/odynsky/bcresolution20011125.html

(5)Proposed action by UCC_APC:
- Write letter to Denis Coderre.
- Arrange speaking tour by Olya Grod. (She is willing.)
- Contact orgnizations and individuals by fax, Email, phone and postal mail about issue.
- Could something be organized at the University of Alberta?

Respectfully submitted
Will Zuzak; 2002-06-04
UCCreport20020604.doc                  DRAFT COPY