| MPs and Senators |
MPs & Senators
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MPs & Senators Mitigating Prairie Giant’s defamation of Jimmy Gardiner is not a partisan issue; rather it is an issue of historical justice. Politicians from all three major political parties have spoken out about the misappropriation of Jimmy Gardiner’s persona. CCF and NDP: Allan Blakeney, former CCF member and former NDP Premier of Saskatchewan, was the first to speak out. Ed Broadbent, former MP and Leader of the NDP, was sympathetic and said he empathised with the Gardiner family. John Burton, the CCF candidate who opposed Jimmy Gardiner in the 1956 and 1957 elections, called to express his displeasure with the despicable portrayal. Denise Savoie, MP for Victoria, wrote to the CBC to express her “dismay with the characterisation” of Gardiner. Douglas Fisher, former CCF MP from the 50s/60s, referred to the Giant’s depiction of Jimmy Gardiner as a shoddy portrait and objected to the “low and sleazy way Gardiner was depicted”. He suggested that ‘the CCF’s horror stories about “Jimmy’s machine” and its vile patronage were an attempt to make a devil of him for what was, in fact, simply well-organised partisanship.’ Conservative: Regina MPs Tom Lukiwski and Andrew Scheer expressed their displeasure with the distortions of history to Gardiner family members in Regina. On June 9, in response to Goodale's presentation of the Recognition Petition, Lukiwski said "Prairie Giant.. was a dishonest portrayal of Saskatchewan history ... the portrayal of the Hon. James Gardiner ... was not only inaccurate, but the producers attempted to rewrite Canadian history in a partisan, dishonest manner." Lukiwski also wrote a letter concerning the use of the film in schools. Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, the constituency that includes Jimmy Gardiner’s home town of Lemberg, wrote a most insightful letter to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, asking that steps be taken to request that schools not allow the movie to be shown. He states that “the memory of this Canadian politician has been unjustly tarnished. I ask that you help ensure no further senseless harm is done to the Gardiner family and their proud history.” The kind words written of Roy Bailey, retired Saskatchewan Tory MP, were printed in more than one Saskatchewan newspaper. Tom Lukiwski and Gary Lunn, the MP for Saanich - Gulf Islands, have committed to carrying forward Recognition Petitions to the House of Commons in the fall of 2006. Liberal: The Hon. Ralph Goodale, MP for Regina-Wascana, identified Prairie Giant as a “tawdry example of unworthy fiction” and suggested that the abuse of Gardiner’s persona was “so glaring that one can only assume it was deliberate and therefore malicious.” His April and May letters to the CBC were very firm and clear. On June 9th, 2006, Goodale presented the first Recognition Petition to the House of Commons. Stephen Owen, MP for Vancouver Quadra, and Bob Peterson, Senator for Saskatchewan, have committed to carrying Petitions forward to the House of Commons and the Senate in the fall. Letters and phone calls from other Liberal MPs, Senators, and Party Members have encouraged the Gardiner family to continue to seek historical justice. Other: The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has been apprised of the controversy and the continuing mis-appropriation of Jimmy Gardiner’s persona. Members of the Gardiner family have heard that many other MPs have been disturbed about what Prairie Giant has done to the reputation of a Canadian who dedicated most of his life to the well-being of his country.
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