6 ridings where Stephen Harper’s trade deal with Ukraine gets noticed

Diaspora politics in action (but do not believe that the Canadian government position on Ukraine is driven only by electoral considerations, ideology also plays a role):

While getting photos of themselves with foreign leaders who have strong diaspora communities in Canada is a key part of every candidate’s toolbox, some critics argue that the Conservatives’ entire foreign policy approach to Ukraine is connected to courting voters among the 1.2 million people who identify as Ukrainian in Canada.

Leaked campaign documents ahead of the 2011 election suggested the Conservatives were actively courting the Ukrainian-Canadian vote and to some extent, that may still be the case.

A riding explicitly targeted by the Conservatives in 2011 was Etobicoke-Centre, which they won from the Liberals after a fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

In a recent interview with the Ukrainian publication Meest, the Tory MP for the riding Ted Opitz used a discussion of his party’s policy on Ukraine to make a dig at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau was forced to apologize last year after making a joke that appeared to make light of Russia’s activities.

But many of the ridings that are home to significant Ukrainian-Canadian communities were Conservative strongholds long before the Russian annexation of Crimea last year kickstarted a global response that included Canadian military and aid support.

And in others, it’s not the Liberals in second place but the New Democrats.

6 ridings where Stephen Harper’s trade deal with Ukraine gets noticed – Politics – CBC News.