Andrew Telegdi
Encyclopedia
Andrew Telegdi, PC
(born May 28, 1946, in Budapest
, Hungary
) is a Canadian
politician. He was a Liberal
Member of Parliament
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1993 to 2008, representing Waterloo
and the successor riding of Kitchener—Waterloo.
expatriate who entered Canada as a refugee, Telegdi emigrated with his family to Canada in 1957. He attended the University of Waterloo
in the 1970s, and served two terms as president of the Federation of Students
, UW's student union, in 1973-1974. After graduating, he became executive director of Youth in Trouble with the Law, and was a board member of the Working Centre (St. John's Soup Kitchen). Telegdi was also appointed to the board of governors of Wilfrid Laurier University
.
Telegdi was a city councillor in Waterloo, Ontario
from 1985 to 1993 while at the same time he was a regional councillor in the RM of Waterloo.
as member of the Ontario Liberal Party
in the 1990 provincial election
, but finished a poor third against Progressive Conservative
Elizabeth Witmer
in the riding of Waterloo North
, thus became the first Liberal to lose in the riding in over 23 years. He won an easy victory to the Canadian House of Commons
three years later, however, and was re-elected by comfortable margins four times since then.
Telegdi was appointed parliamentary secretary
to the Minister of Citizenship of Immigration
on July 16, 1998, but resigned the position on May 18, 2000, claiming that he could not support certain provisions in the government's proposed Citizenship Act. He was concerned with a clause which gave Canada's parliament rather than the courts the right to remove a person's citizenship, and in particular
Helmut Oberlander
's
who was a constituent of the riding he then represented. Commenting on this issue, he said "For me, my citizenship comes before my party."
During this controversy, Telegdi argued that placing parliament above the courts on citizenship issues was similar to "what Hitler used to do". Telegdi was widely criticized for this comment and the Canadian Jewish Congress
and called for Telegdi's removal from the Liberal caucus. In response, Telegdi noted that his stepfather was a Jewish refugee from Romania
, and claimed his comments had been reported out of context in a sensational manner. He also issued the following statement: "What I have said is that a liberal democratic state such as Canada should never remove citizenship lightly. That is what Hitler did to Jews, Gypsies and many others. That is what Stalin did to millions. All totalitarian regimes have engaged in these practices."
He also issued an apology for his comments to the House of Commons.
Telegdi also engaged in a public dispute with Liberal Party activist Warren Kinsella
in this period. After Kinsella criticized Telegdi's comments on the Citizenship Act, Telegdi wrote a letter calling on Kinsella to resign as Jean Chrétien
's spokesperson.
Telegdi is a liberal on most social issues. He is a strong supporter of gay rights and same-sex marriage
. He also opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, expressing concern that the American approach of "pre-emptive strikes" would create new problems and undermine multilateral institutions.
For several years, Telegdi was a supporter of Paul Martin
in his bid to succeed Jean Chrétien
as leader of the Liberal Party. Soon after Martin succeeded Chrétien as Liberal leader and Prime Minister
, Telegdi was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Aboriginal Affairs. He held this position until just after the 2004 election and prior to the 2008 election was vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
He lost to Conservative
candidate Peter Braid
by an initial count of 48 votes in the 2008 federal election
. A judicial recount was ordered, as the margin of victory was less than 0.1%. The final validated count, showing errors in two polls, confirmed his opponent had won the seat by 17 votes, the smallest margin of victory in the 2008 federal election. He campaigned again in the 2011 federal election and lost to Braid by 2,114 votes.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born May 28, 1946, in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He was a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1993 to 2008, representing Waterloo
Waterloo (electoral district)
Waterloo was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979. From 1973 to 1976, it was known as Waterloo—Cambridge...
and the successor riding of Kitchener—Waterloo.
Early life and career
A HungarianHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
expatriate who entered Canada as a refugee, Telegdi emigrated with his family to Canada in 1957. He attended the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
in the 1970s, and served two terms as president of the Federation of Students
University of Waterloo Federation of Students
Federation of Students, University of Waterloo represents over 22,000 full-time undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo. They market themselves on-campus as the Feds. They have an office in the University's Student Life Centre, and have nearly 20 full-time staff members. They help...
, UW's student union, in 1973-1974. After graduating, he became executive director of Youth in Trouble with the Law, and was a board member of the Working Centre (St. John's Soup Kitchen). Telegdi was also appointed to the board of governors of Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
.
Telegdi was a city councillor in Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
from 1985 to 1993 while at the same time he was a regional councillor in the RM of Waterloo.
Career in federal politics
He ran for the Legislative Assembly of OntarioLegislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as member of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, but finished a poor third against Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Elizabeth Witmer
Elizabeth Witmer
Elizabeth Witmer is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1990, originally representing Waterloo North and later Kitchener—Waterloo for the Progressive Conservative Party.Witmer moved with her family to Ontario at a young age...
in the riding of Waterloo North
Waterloo North (provincial electoral district)
Waterloo North was a provincial electoral district represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Confederation in 1867 until 1999.It was abolished in 1999 when provincial ridings were defined to have the same borders as federal ridings...
, thus became the first Liberal to lose in the riding in over 23 years. He won an easy victory to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
three years later, however, and was re-elected by comfortable margins four times since then.
Telegdi was appointed parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Citizenship of Immigration
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
on July 16, 1998, but resigned the position on May 18, 2000, claiming that he could not support certain provisions in the government's proposed Citizenship Act. He was concerned with a clause which gave Canada's parliament rather than the courts the right to remove a person's citizenship, and in particular
Helmut Oberlander
Helmut Oberlander
Helmut Oberlander is a Canadian citizen who has been at the center of a Canadian government process regarding his Canadian citizenship. As an ethnic German born and living in Ukraine during World War II, he was conscripted into the German forces at the age of 17 to serve as an interpreter for the...
's
who was a constituent of the riding he then represented. Commenting on this issue, he said "For me, my citizenship comes before my party."
During this controversy, Telegdi argued that placing parliament above the courts on citizenship issues was similar to "what Hitler used to do". Telegdi was widely criticized for this comment and the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
and called for Telegdi's removal from the Liberal caucus. In response, Telegdi noted that his stepfather was a Jewish refugee from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and claimed his comments had been reported out of context in a sensational manner. He also issued the following statement: "What I have said is that a liberal democratic state such as Canada should never remove citizenship lightly. That is what Hitler did to Jews, Gypsies and many others. That is what Stalin did to millions. All totalitarian regimes have engaged in these practices."
He also issued an apology for his comments to the House of Commons.
Telegdi also engaged in a public dispute with Liberal Party activist Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren James Douglas Kinsella , is a Toronto-based Canadian, lawyer, author, musician, political consultant, commentator, and blogger...
in this period. After Kinsella criticized Telegdi's comments on the Citizenship Act, Telegdi wrote a letter calling on Kinsella to resign as Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's spokesperson.
Telegdi is a liberal on most social issues. He is a strong supporter of gay rights and same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. He also opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, expressing concern that the American approach of "pre-emptive strikes" would create new problems and undermine multilateral institutions.
For several years, Telegdi was a supporter of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
in his bid to succeed Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
as leader of the Liberal Party. Soon after Martin succeeded Chrétien as Liberal leader and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Telegdi was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Aboriginal Affairs. He held this position until just after the 2004 election and prior to the 2008 election was vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
He lost to Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate Peter Braid
Peter Braid
Peter Braid is a Canadian politician. He was elected to represent the electoral district of Kitchener—Waterloo in the 2008 Canadian federal election, defeating incumbent Andrew Telegdi by a margin of 17 votes. He is a member of the Conservative Party...
by an initial count of 48 votes in the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. A judicial recount was ordered, as the margin of victory was less than 0.1%. The final validated count, showing errors in two polls, confirmed his opponent had won the seat by 17 votes, the smallest margin of victory in the 2008 federal election. He campaigned again in the 2011 federal election and lost to Braid by 2,114 votes.