Young Liberals posing as average Canadians...

Young Liberals posing as average Canadians in letter campaign
Letters to the editor, television ads get out Martin's message
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=4d369e0d-f953-4cee-beac-14955e979aba
Allan Woods, The Ottawa Citizen

NORTH BAY - Liberal party activists have launched a campaign to sway public opinion on child care, but it's operated largely by members of the Young Liberals, who are passing themselves off as average Canadians.

They attack Conservative leader Stephen Harper in letters to newspapers that denigrate his child-care plan while promoting Liberal leader Paul Martin as the only worthy choice to run the country. But don't identify themselves as affiliated with the Liberal party.

"This seems like yet another attempt to help those Canadians who, frankly, don't need the help, but whose vote Mr. Harper needs," reads one letter, published in Wednesday's Globe and Mail. The letter was written by Denise Brunsdon, who was, until recently, a former national director of the Young Liberals.

"To give $100 a month per child leaves families looking for quality, affordable child care out in the cold and slaps the faces of those who make real sacrifices to have a parent stay at home as a full-time caregiver," reads a second, in yesterday's Globe and Mail, which was written by Amelie Crosson, a former speechwriter for Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.

In addition to the letter-writing campaign, Liberal television advertisements have also come under suspicion.

One of the three spots produced by the party identifies the people who appear in it as Liberals. But it does not divulge just how committed they are to the party's cause.

In fact, those who appear are closely linked to the upper echelons of Mr. Martin's government.

There is Neil Dhalla, brother of Ruby Dhalla, a star rookie MP in the Liberal caucus.

Joel Peterson, who is identified as a Liberal from Regina, is actually the executive director of Saskatchewan's Liberal party and a key organizer for Finance Minister Ralph Goodale.

Peter Yung, noted as a Liberal from Burnaby, B.C., is, in fact, the riding association president who presided when one of Mr. Martin's hand-picked loyalists, Bill Cunningham, was parachuted in as the candidate in a controversial fashion in the 2004 election.

"(Cunningham) made a lot of fans in the riding because of his performance last election and our riding association has certainly benefited," Mr. Yung writes on Mr. Cunningham's website.

Mr. Harper could not say "without a doubt" that his own party has never engaged in such activities, and there is anecdotal evidence that some of his party faithful have written unattributed letters to newspapers as well.

But the Conservative party's televised advertisements so far in this campaign have featured Conservative party MPs, or people who are clearly actors.

"What I can say is that it doesn't surprise me the Liberals are doing that," Mr. Harper said yesterday.

"I suspect for most of the Liberal campaign, if it isn't groups that are linked to the government or linked to the party, I think they'll have a lot of trouble finding anybody to support some of their policies."

On Wednesday, Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine threw his support behind the Liberals and New Democrats, an endorsement that follows closely the signing of a $5.1-billion deal to improve aboriginal health, education, housing and economic development.

Mr. Harper accused his detractors, or those who have come out in favour of Liberal policies in this campaign, of having "a vested interest in doing so."

A second Liberal television spot has raised greater concerns for the party's opponents, as it fails to identify those who appear in the ads as Liberal party members. The same partisan links exist, however.

A young Indo-Canadian woman, Bardish Chagger of Waterloo, says Mr.Martin's Liberals should be re-elected because "they provide the rights to people and minorities that otherwise would not be granted rights."

Ms. Chagger's biography on the website of the Kitchener-Waterloo Young Liberals club identifies her as "a proud card-carrying Liberal for more than a decade." It notes she is currently a constituency office assistant for Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi.

A second woman, identified only as Lamiley Lutterodt from Regina, is standing in a field of wheat telling viewers that "it doesn't matter who you are as long as you are a proud Canadian."

Ms. Lutterodt was the business manager for a Regina Liberal candidate, Simone Clayton, in the 2003 Saskatchewan election