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Posted on 08/27/2004 12:45:39 AM PDT by Dallas59
OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin has urged Carolyn Parrish to withdraw her latest anti-American slur but hasn't demanded she apologize.
The maverick Liberal MP says she won't back down. Parrish was just stating the obvious when she called missile defence supporters a "coalition of the idiots," she said in an interview. And she'd do it again.
"I believe in free speech and I am a colourful speaker. I occasionally will use terms that other people find bold.
"That's me, and I'm going to stop trying to fit into some cookie-cutter mould that somebody else has tried to design for me."
Martin wasn't pleased.
"This is too important a debate to be derailed by those kinds of comments," he said after a cabinet meeting Thursday. But Parrish won't be penalized, he said.
Critics said that's a failure to rein in an intolerant "zealot" who will further damage Canada-U.S. relations.
Heated political debate is expected this fall over Canadian participation in the U.S. plan to build a missile defence shield. The Liberal caucus is divided on the issue as it prepares to lead a minority government in a fractious House of Commons.
Parrish made international headlines last year for publicly muttering: "Damn Americans, I hate the bastards."
She landed in hot water again Wednesday when she told a small anti-missile-defence rally: "We are not joining the coalition of the idiots. We are joining the coalition of the wise."
Martin called her soon after.
"He talked about options" but did not ask her to say sorry, Parrish said.
"The tone was quite businesslike and acceptable," she said of the five-minute call. "He's a very nice man."
Martin's inner circle weighed in Thursday on Parrish's choice of words.
"I think she should have kept her mouth shut," Immigration Minister Judy Sgro said as she entered the cabinet meeting.
"The comments were absolutely unacceptable," said Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew.
Defence Minister Bill Graham said the remark wasn't helpful in a situation requiring "civilized discussion."
And a right-wing group that lobbies for individual rights and better government said Martin should do more.
The National Citizens' Coalition called Parrish "an intolerant, anti-American zealot" who should be pressed to apologize.
"So far Martin's response to her brainless remarks has been tepid to say the least," said vice-president Gerry Nicholls.
So much for Martin's campaign promise to mend Canada-U.S. relations, said Conservative foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day.
"This is his first big test. Unless Paul Martin can show Canadians and our friends in the U.S. that he is serious about ending these attitudes in the Liberal party . . . he sends a message that he shares (them)."
Parrish at first denied Wednesday that she had made the remark, and asked media not to report it.
"I did become concerned that the issue was going to be me and . . . the word (idiots)," she explained Thursday. "And I just thought: 'Ugh. Darn. Here we go again.'
"Then I settled down and gave it some serious thought and said: 'No, I'm not going to back down from this.' "
Canadians should be concerned that missile defence could speed the global weapons race and spur rogue countries to design missiles that could breach such a shield, Parrish says.
She has been speaking on the issue with little media interest until now, she added.
"Suddenly, because there's one word in there that people find very exciting, I'm getting tons of coverage. It's a criticism of the media, if I may be so bold."
Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, told the CBC that Parrish is entitled to her opinion.
"Canada is a free country, people can express their opinions how they see fit," he said in Goose Bay, Nfld.
Unless your a conservative or a church.
Canada exports its great comedians to the world and saves the mediocre ones for politics.
Al Quanada
Bold?
Parrish's language is not bold, it's stupid and odious.
Hate crime?
Translation: "I'm an idiot."
If you want to see real insults just search with "Spain" as keyword and read what is said to the spanish people in the posts you'll get as a result. You'll see that "idiots" is a kid's insult compared to what you find there.
Of course, what is worse in this case is that we are talking about a polititian who should keep her head cold in any situation. In a fire, would you follow someone who is running and shouting? or would you follow the one who is looking around quietly and analising the situation?
I understand that surely you are not one of the guys signing those insults, just wanted to point that there is undesirable people everywhere.
Sorry about this one guys. Believe me, Parrish is an idiot and does NOT speak for the majority of Canadians. It's very important to note here that Parrish's constituency is largely Indo-Pakistani...this explains in large part her show boat, anti-American attitude.
To print out and wear as a Campaign Button, go HERE. Feel free to reuse this anywhere you wish...Her comments really make me want to cross the border and spend money in Canada. (/sarcasm)
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