The NDP candidate in Montreal’s upcoming byelection received criticism from Conservative MPs and Jewish advocacy groups after handing out fliers which said a vote for him is a vote “to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
Craig Sauvé, the NDP candidate to replace former Liberal justice minister David Lametti’s seat in LaSalle—Émard–Verdun, is getting flack for campaigning on anti-Israel electoral promises and featuring a Palestinian flag on his campaign pamphlet. In contrast, the Canadian flag was noticeably absent.
Lametti resigned from politics two days after a federal court deemed Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act unreasonable and unconstitutional. The former justice minister who played a key role in the government’s response to the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa in February 2022 opened a vacancy in the riding.
The NDP campaign paper claims that there is a genocide in Gaza, a legal accusation that has not been proven in an international court.
“A disgraceful attempt NDP candidate Craig Sauvé to import a foreign conflict in to Québec and Canada,” the Jewish advocacy group the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said on X. “In a bid for votes, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are turning their backs on Canada and our values, fueling antisemitism in the process.”
Melissa Lantsman, the deputy leader of the Conservative party, also chimed in on X, wondering if Singh approved of the anti-Israel campaign message. Similarly, Conservative MP Marty Morantz questioned why the flier featured the Palestinian flag and not the Canadian flag.
In an interview with former CTV host, Ben Mulroney, Lantsman questioned the use of the flag and how Singh could have approved it.
“(As an MP) you are a Canadian parliamentarian, looking after Canadian interest to ensure that people can afford a home in a safe neighborhood, free of crime, and keep more of their money. That’s the priority of Canadians, and we’ve heard it from coast to coast to coast,” Lantsman said. “This is absurd, and it is an insult to every single Canadian that fought under that (Canadian) flag for what we have today.”
The NDP candidate did not respond to True North’s requests to comment, though as reported in a Globe and Mail article Sunday, the NDP defended the decision echoing the Liberal party stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
According to the Globe and Mail, the NDP released a statement saying they support both a ceasefire and for Hamas to return the hostages who remain in captivity after the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israelis on Oct. 7.
The party called a double standard, showing images of Poilievre posing with an Israeli flag. They accused Poilievre of supporting Israel regardless of how many “innocent Israeli and Palestinian people die.”
When asked for a response, the official opposition office directed True North to Lantsman’s comments and added no other comment.
The latest polling from Sept. 8, 2024, by 338, Canada, projected a close race, with the Bloc Quebecois and the Liberals being the leading contenders for the seat. The poll estimated that the Liberal candidate Laura Palestini has a 52% chance of winning, while the Bloc candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé has a 42% chance of taking it.
The same poll estimated that the NDP would have a 6% chance of winning, with Conservative candidate Louis Ialenti not having a chance to win the seat with 13% support in the riding.
The byelection vote is set for Monday, Sept. 16, the same day parliament reconvenes in the House of Commons following the summer break.
