Robert N. Thompson, a member of Parliament who is national leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada, today disassociated himself and his party unequivocally from all and any individuals or groups in the Dominion who advocate or practice “anti Jewish discrimination or incitement.”
He added that he and his party are equally opposed to “prejudice, discrimination or incitement against any race or religion” and pledged that, as long as he is the Social Credit leader, there will be “no room” for the hate peddlers in the Social Credit Association.
The name of Mr. Thompson and the Social Credit movement has been, from time to time, used by various native and visiting hate peddlers, some from Australia, as friendly to neo-Nazi groups. In letter to the Canadian Jewish Congress, received today, Mr. Thompson stated that, whenever such use was made of the movement, or whenever any members of the party were found to be advocating anti-Semitism, the party’s name had been used without authorization and members were expelled from the party.
“Because of accounts which have appeared from time to time in the press, linking my name and that of the Social Credit Party of Canada with the activities of certain elements that propagate religious enmity and ill will, elements which have not scrupled to distribute material attacking the Jewish people in a defamatory manner,” he wrote to Congress, “I cannot refrain from restating my position with specific reference to these matters.
“I therefore,” he continued, “absolutely repudiate even the suggestion of any relationship between the Social Credit Party of Canada with the Canadian Intelligence Service (an anti-Semitic group with no official government connection), the Christian Action Movement or with such individuals as Eric Butler, Ron Gostick, Pat Walsh, Neil Carmichael or any other persons in any way involved or associated with anti Semitic or anti-minority group association. Any use by these persons of my name or of the name ‘Social Credit Association of Canada’ or any claim by them to association, directly or indirectly, with the Social Credit Party or with myself, is false, and can only be in tended to mislead the public.”
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