Government Relations Committee Report; Wed., July 03, 2002

(1) Letter of UCC-APC, dated June 12, 2002, to Denis Coderre, protesting the proposed revocation of the citizenship of Wasyl Odynsky and the denaturalization and deportation process, in general, was faxed to the members of the Cabinet Special Committee of Council and their parliamentary secretaries (26 in all). It is archived at
http://www.willzuzak.ca/tp/odynsky/UCC20020612coderre.html

On the evening of June 11, 2002, I (Will Zuzak) received a call from Paul Grod informing us that the Committee was to meet the next day at 3:30 p.m. Ottawa time to revoke the citizenship of Wasyl Odynsky. The letter was composed by Dave Sereda, Ludmila Sereditch and sent out by 11:00 a.m. Edmonton time, June 12, 2002.

It was reported that at the Committee meeting certain members asked for a deferral of that agenda item until the next meeting on June 19, 2002. By that date the Committee members and all MPs had received thousands of letters of protest. At a Liberal function on June 18, 2002, Denis Coderre informed Olya Odynsky, that he was deferring the item indefinitely. The next meeting of the Cabinet Special Committee of Council is scheduled for July 16, 2002.

Eugene Czolij and Paul Grod of UCC-National met with Denis Coderre on Tuesday, June 25, 2002 to discuss the d&d issue. A Press Release on the meeting is archived at the above website under the file name UCC20020628PressRelease.html .

(2) An Email from Paul Grod, dated 1:17 p.m. June 27, 2002, alerted us that Don Boudria would be in Edmonton on June 28 and 29, 2002 and urged us to arrange a meeting with him. As arranged by Dave Sereda, a delegation comprising of Eugene Harasymiw, Marco Levytsky and Will Zuzak met with Mr. Boudria for a breakfast meeting 7:15 – 8:15 a.m., June 29, 2002, at the Harvest Room restaurant of the Hotel MacDonald. The meeting was very friendly and positive. I expect to archive my report amongst the files at
http://www.willzuzak.ca/tp/odynsky/odynsky.html

(3) Preliminary discussions between Olya Odynsky, Will Zuzak, Eugene Harasymiw and Marco Levytsky indicate that the best time for Olya to tour Alberta would be in September or October, 2002 (rather than at Ukrainian Day on Aug. 11, 2002). We hope to make the final decision by July 08, 2002, and to start setting up an organizational team at that time.

(4) At the suggestion of Catherine Chichak, I have requested a meeting with Dave Kilgour to discuss the d&d issue. He is out of the country for about 2 weeks, but will contact us when he gets back. (The 3-person delegation will consist of Catherine Chichak and two of Eugene Harasymiw, Marco Levytsky or Will Zuzak.)

(5) The proposed meeting with Diane Ablonczy has been postponed until after July 09, 2002. However, an article on Wasyl Odynsky by Kevin Michael Grace in the July 08, 2002 issue of the Report Newsmagazine quotes Ms. Ablonczy as favouring a “beyond a reasonable doubt” criterion for revocation of citizenship. This, also, is archived on the MoZeus website.

Respectfully submitted
Will Zuzak
UCCreport20020703.doc

Attachments in Word 6.0/95 format: UCC20020612coderreF.doc, zuzak20020629boudria.doc