MONTREAL — One week before voters head to the polls in a Montreal federal byelection, the NDP is defending its candidate after a campaign flyer featuring the Palestinian flag and accusations of genocide in the Gaza Strip drew criticism from political opponents and a Jewish group.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described the leaflet as a "disgraceful attempt by NDP candidate Craig Sauvé to import a foreign conflict into Québec and Canada."
In a bid for votes, the Jewish advocacy group said in a social media post Sunday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and the party "are turning their backs on (Canada) and our values, fuelling antisemitism in the process."
Sauvé is photographed on the flyer for the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun byelection with a backdrop of the Palestinian flag, as a message below urges voters to cast their ballot for him on Sept. 16 "to stop the genocide in Gaza."
In response, the NDP said Monday the party has been "crystal clear on our position in support of a ceasefire and the release of all hostages because we believe in protecting both Israeli and Palestinian lives." The war has so far killed more than 40,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count.
The NDP added that Sauvé included a Maple Leaf on the leaflet in question, adding that he regularly poses with Quebec and Canadian flags — "both of which he deeply loves and respects." The party did not respond to a request for a copy of the flyer.
"It’s ludicrous to suggest that when a politician is seen with another flag it’s un-Canadian, whether that’s the Ukrainian flag, Israeli flag, Palestinian flag or other nations," the NDP said in an email, which included photos of former prime minister Stephen Harper and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in front of various flags, including those of the United States and Israel.
Conservative politicians including Michelle Rempel Garner also jumped on the brochure, questioning why Sauvé would feature a foreign flag instead of Canada's. "No matter one's political stripe or position on an issue, everyone should question why he's chosen to conspicuously absent the Canadian flag, and prominently feature a foreign one instead," Rempel Garner wrote on X.
Independent Jewish Voices, however, praised Sauvé for speaking out. "Flying a Palestinian flag or denouncing the genocide aren't antisemitic," the group wrote on social media. "And it is ridiculous, reckless and dangerous (to Jews and Palestinians) to suggest otherwise."
Voters will go to the polls on Sept. 16 to select a candidate to replace former Liberal cabinet minister David Lametti, who resigned in January. It will be the first electoral test for the federal parties since the NDP announced last week it was withdrawing from the agreement supporting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government.
While LaSalle-Émard-Verdun was considered a Liberal stronghold, polls have indicated it could now be up for grabs. Poll aggregator site Canada338 suggested Monday that the race is now a toss-up between the Liberals and Bloc Québécois, after a previous survey said it was a potential three-way race with the NDP. A loss would represent a major blow to Trudeau, whose party also lost another former stronghold, Toronto—St. Paul's, in a June byelection.
Sauvé is joined in the race by fellow city councillor Laura Palestini, who is running for the Liberals, as well as political staffer Louis-Philippe Sauvé for the Bloc Québécois. Business owner Louis Ialenti will represent the Conservatives on the ballot, which includes a record 91 candidates — the majority of whom are running in protest of Canada's first-past-the-post voting system.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
