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Conservative staffer sought ethnic people in costume for photo-op

Email asks for people in “national folklore costume” to attend campaign event

A campaign staffer for a Conservative MP in Etobicoke Centre sent out an email seeking people in “national folklore costume” to appear for a photo-op during a campaign stop by Stephen Harper on Thursday. The email, written by campaign staffer Zeljko Zidaric, asked for representation from the Canadian Arab Federation at a rally for Tory MP Ted Opitz. “Do you have any cultural groups that would like to participate by having someone at the event in an ethnic costume?” the email read, and went on to say that 20 people in “national folklore costumes” were being sought for a photo-op. Canadian Arab Federation president Khaled Mouamar compared the photo-op to “a Halloween Party” and called out the Conservative party for cutting more than $1-million in funding to the Federation. “So suddenly now we exist as props for a photo op?” Opitz denied knowing about the email, saying did not “support its characterization or intent.”

CBC News

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