Estonians organized and were involved in the final Scarborough rally for Conservative leader Stephen Harper, on Friday January 20th.
At the Scarborough Conservatives rally, Friday January 20. From the left Aino Uus, Ruho Paluoja, Pauline Browes, and Shirley MacAllister. Photo: Adu Raudkivi
Professor Ruho Paluoja organized the event, which was also attended by former Progressive Conservative party heavyweights like Senator Marjorie LeBreton, former Toronto party organizer Fred Clark and many others.
Many of the original 'Progressive Conservatives' who at first did not join the 'Conservative' party have now come together. People like former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who initially did not approve of the merger between the National Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives, became involved in the campaign.
The Honourable Pauline Browes, former Minister in PM Brian Mulroney’s cabinet, introduced Harper who addressed Conservative candidates and hundreds of their supporters. Browes helped Estonians a great deal when the late eighties-early nineties push for regaining the nation’s independence was on.
Harper explained the party platform starting with the need for accountability, and economic issues. A significant election issue for Scarborough was law and order. Stephen Harper addressed those concerns at length.
Aino Uus was at the front of the Browes cheering section sitting beside Browes’ sister Shirley MacAllister. Uus was heavily involved in the Browes campaign and organized Eesti Kodu/ Ehatare Estonians to vote.
(Unfortunately, despite the support and efforts of Uus, Paluoja and many others in the Estonian community, Pauline Browes could not unseat the incumbent - Liberal MP John McKay - on election day. This proved to be the pattern in all of the ridings of Metropolitan Toronto, where Liberals and the NDP ruled the day.)
