WINNIPEG - The federal Conservatives are trying to reignite a controversy over comments about Ukrainians written by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff more than 15 years ago.
The Liberals are fighting back, calling the attack mean-spirited and misleading.
"It's reflective of the Republican-like politics that the Conservatives do here in Canada, which is wedge politics, trying to divide communities," Liberal member of Parliament Anita Neville said from Ottawa Thursday. "I think it's scurrilous."
Neville, the only Liberal member in Manitoba, is upset over a pamphlet sent by Treasury Board President Vic Toews to constituents in Toews' riding of Provencher, southeast of Winnipeg.
The pamphlet contains excerpts from Ignatieff's 1993 book "Blood and Belonging," in which Ignatieff refers to Ukrainians as "little Russians". Ignatieff also wrote that Ukrainian independence conjures up images of "phoney cossacks in cloaks and boots, nasty anti-Semites".
The same words angered some members of Toronto's Ukrainian community in 2005, when Ignatieff first ran for office. They protested outside party headquarters in Toronto.
Ignatieff said at the time that his comments had been taken out of context, and that he was writing about Ukrainian stereotypes.
Neville said Ignatieff supports Ukrainians, and accused Toews of abusing his parliamentary mailouts for partisan sniping.
"I think that Mr. Toews, ... to use his House of Commons publication privileges to take on something like this rather than to take on the very serious issues of the day, is irresponsible," she said.
Toews stands by the mailout. His office did not agree to an interview request, and only sent an email inviting Neville to "explain the context (of Ignatieff's remarks) to Canadians".
Ignatieff will likely face more attacks over the many writings and public comments he made in his pre-political days.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper hinted last month in the Commons that the Conservatives have been poring over taped remarks Ignatieff made over the years.
