Carolyn Parrish

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Carolyn Parrish, BA , B.Ed (born October 3, 1946 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian politician, former member of the Canadian House of Commons and former teacher.

[edit] Background

Parrish studied at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's College, graduating in 1969, and became a high school teacher. She served as a Trustee in the Region of Peel from 1985 to 1990, and was chairperson from 1988 to 1990. She was first elected to the House of Commons as a Liberal in the 1993 election and was re-elected in the three subsequent general elections of 1997, 2000 and 2004. She ended her federal career representing the Mississauga, Ontario riding of Mississauga—Erindale as an independent Member of Parliament.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] "Damn Americans"

She was largely unknown nationally until the eve of the U.S.-led Invasion of Iraq in 2003. On her way out of a meeting, Parrish was overheard on a boom mike saying "Damn Americans, I hate the bastards." She later told the media that her comments were directed towards George W. Bush and his administration and not the American people as a whole. Members of the opposition Canadian Alliance party called for her to be punished by then Liberal leader and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, but no punishment occurred.

After the widespread media attention on this incident, she remained popular in her home riding. After electoral redistribution leading up to the 2004 election, she faced fellow Liberal MP Steve Mahoney in a nomination battle and narrowly won. She was re-elected with 54% of the vote in the general election, against 32% for her Conservative opponent.

In August 2004, Parrish again created controversy by referring to those supporting the North American missile defence proposal as "a coalition of the idiots", mocking the phrase "coalition of the willing" used by Bush describing the American-led alliance in the invasion of Iraq. Paul Martin, who had succeeded Chrétien as Prime Minister, asked her to use more tact and discretion when sharing her opinions about such subjects but stopped short of asking her to apologize.

Following the November U.S. election, she expressed shock at the re-election of George W. Bush. She said that "America is completely out of touch with the rest of the free world" and blamed this on collective "extreme psychological damage" due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. When Conservative Party members called on her to apologize for these remarks she said that such comments "are in the best traditions of free speech and independence of thought." These comments came just hours after Paul Martin warned his MPs in a private caucus meeting not to make incendiary comments in the wake of the U.S. election. Parrish explained that she wasn't at the meeting, but that even if she had been, it wouldn't have stopped her from speaking her mind.

[edit] Appearance on This Hour Has 22 Minutes

Mark Critch (left), Carolyn Parrish (right) and a Bush doll, in a skit that led to her dismissal from the Liberal caucus.

On November 17, 2004 clips of a skit for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in which she stomped on a Bush doll and performed voodoo on its head, where, she said, "it would do the least damage", were released (the full version was to air on Friday, November 19). This again caused intense outrage from Conservative members and prompted Martin to ask for a meeting with her.

[edit] Removal from National Liberal Caucus

On November 18, a Canadian Press story quoted her as saying Martin, and those around him, could "go to hell" if they wanted her to stop making similar comments. She went on to say that she had no loyalty towards the Liberal Party and that if it were defeated in the next election she "would not shed a tear," as she had felt betrayed by Martin's lack of help for her during her nomination and election campaigns. In response to these comments, Martin, with the support of National Liberal Caucus Chair Andy Savoy, expelled her from caucus.

On November 19, Parrish spoke to the press about her expulsion from caucus. She said that had she been in Martin's place, she would have done the same. She went on to say, however, that the party under Martin had fallen into disarray and that Martin and his inner circle ran the party using guerrilla warfare tactics. She said she would still vote with the Liberals on the vast majority of legislation, but would now be free to express her views without fear of reprisal.

Though excluded from caucus, Parrish initially still sat as a Liberal in the House of Commons but became an independent on November 21 so that the speaker would give her time in member's statements and question period without the notice of the Liberal whip.

On November 30, 2004, Parrish appeared on CNN in an interview with Wolf Blitzer and Tucker Carlson, defending her position against Bush and her recent actions that led to ousting from the Liberal party. She also defended the overall Canadian stance regarding the Iraq War and the National Missile Defence program. Several days later Martin appeared on Late Edition, with Blitzer hosting. Blitzer talked about several MPs attacking Bush and Martin replied that only Parrish had made attacks and that they had been condemned throughout Parliament.

In December 2004, Parrish announced that she would oppose the Martin government's legislation to legally establish same-sex marriage in Canada. Parrish personally supports changing the definition of marriage, but claims that her constituents are generally opposed to it.

On May 19, 2005, Paul Martin's Liberal government faced to two votes of confidence on its 2005-06 budget legislation. In the days leading up to the vote, Parrish said that she would support the government despite her difficulties with Martin's administration. Her support was critical to the government's survival, given the even division in the house. On the morning of the vote, Parrish informed a media representative that she was suffering from severe pain due to a medical ailment (there was speculation at the time that this was appendicitis or an ovarian cyst, though informed sources now indicate that it likely was kidney stones). Some media sources speculated that she could be forced to miss the vote, but Parrish denied this, claiming,

Come hell or high water, there's no frigging way I'm going to let one ovary bring the government down.[1]

She attended the vote, which the government won by one vote.

[edit] Rick Hillier

In July 2005, Parrish castigated Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier as being "dangerous" and a "testosterone-filled general" after he made comments stating that a soldier's purpose was "to be able to kill people" such as terrorists whom he described as "murderers and scumbags."

[edit] Return to caucus and bid for re-election

Although Parrish has indicated that she was considering returning to the Liberal Caucus and remains to date a card-carrying member of the Liberal Party, an aide to the Prime Minister stated on July 29, 2005 that "He's not even entertaining the thought of welcoming Carolyn Parrish back to caucus".

On October 13, 2005, Parrish's spokeswoman announced that the MP had sent a letter to her constituents stating that she would not stand for re-election. Published reports suggested she may run to succeed Hazel McCallion as Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario in the November 2006 municipal election, although Parrish ultimately filed her candidacy for Ward 6. Parrish was the only one of four Independent MPs in the House to vote with the government against the successful November 28, 2005 motion of non-confidence that brought down the Liberal government.

In the 2006 municipal election, Parrish was elected to Mississauga City Council.

[edit] External links

• Carolyn Parrish official campaign website
• Carolyn Parrish's former Government of Canada-hosted website (archived copy - no longer being updated)
• Federal Political Biography from the Library of Parliament