Six local Conservative candidates joined the Jewish Federation of Ottawa for a pre-election roundtable discussion focused on the issues most affecting Jewish Ottawans.

 

Representing the party were Barbara Bal (Nepean), Ryan Telford (Ottawa West–Nepean), Steve Mansour (Orléans), Dean Wythe (Ottawa–Vanier–Gloucester), Greg Kung (Kanata), and Blair Turner (Ottawa South). Each brought a distinct perspective informed by diverse professional backgrounds. Bal and Turner both have experience in policing, while Telford and Wythe worked in federal departments focused on national security and global affairs. Kung is a paramedic who previously lived in Israel and worked with Magen David Adom. At one time, he was fluent in Hebrew.

 

Federation was represented by CEO Adam Silver, Chair of the Board Karen Palayew, Vice Chair Danya Vered, and Antisemitism Specialist David Sachs, VP of Communications and E-Bulletin reporter Ethan Rode.

 

Due to severe weather on the day of the event, Mansour arrived late but emphasized the importance of the conversation.

 

“We are all echoing the same values here,” he said. “The Conservative Party has remained steadfast in its support for the state of Israel. Our leader, Pierre Poilievre … has made it very clear what the position of our party is.”

 

The discussion was framed around a series of questions covering:

 

• Community safety and rising hate crimes

• Combatting antisemitism federally and as Members of Parliament

• Canada–Israel relations

 

 

Candidates were asked how, if elected, they would support the safety and security of Jewish Canadians and their institutions.

 

“There is the Canada Community Security Program which provides the essential time-limited funding to support communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents,” said Bal. “This program does play a vital role in helping communities enhance safety measures.”

 

She noted that grants under the program are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and suggested that a needs-based approach — one rooted in threat assessments — would be a more equitable model.

 

Wythe emphasized the government's responsibility to protect Canadians:

 

“The way I see it, the government has the most important role to protect the security and safety of Canadians,” he said. “Right now, our leaders are not standing up for the legitimate concerns of the Jewish community. There needs to be better leadership there … people who will stand up for what matters.”

 

Wythe also noted that his riding includes a large Muslim population, with whom he works closely. He described support for Hamas and other terror groups as an extremist fringe ideology and stressed the importance of cross-community efforts to push back against such views.

 

 

Candidates were then asked how they would ensure accountability for antisemitic acts and whether they would support banning the symbols and uniforms of recognized terrorist organizations.

 

Telford commented on the listing of Samidoun shortly before the Toronto–St. Paul’s by-election, calling it a “strictly political move” that was unnecessary, as it was already illegal to fundraise or spread propaganda for listed terrorist entities.

 

He added that the Conservative Party opposes the arms embargo on Israel and noted that community safety concerns must be addressed in light of the political decisions that can have spillover effects. Still, he acknowledged the complexity of banning symbols, calling it a constitutional grey area.

 

 

When asked whether they would support implementing bubble zone legislation to protect faith-based organizations and vulnerable communities from protests, all candidates voiced support.

 

“[Ottawa] Mayor Sutcliffe and [Vaughan Mayor Steven] Del Duca … have taken leadership on this,” said Kung. “This shouldn’t just be a municipality issue.”

 

 

The conversation then turned to combatting antisemitism at the federal level. Candidates were asked whether they would continue to support the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and how they would address the phenomenon of anti-Palestinian racism (APR).

 

“We did some work … on the anti-radicalization agenda within the government,” said Telford. “I also know that the IHRA definition within government circles is something that is under focus.”

 

He argued that the real issue is political will and emphasized the need for greater leadership to properly implement and enforce the IHRA definition.

 

Asked what solutions they would propose to address rising radicalization, Turner pointed to existing legal tools:

 

“We have laws in place in Canada,” he said. “Hate-motivated [crimes] and intimidation … are quite complex; there are certain thresholds that need to be met. The Attorney General of Canada needs to be consulted before hate crimes are charged.”

 

He added that more arrests should be made using the tools currently available at various levels of government.

 

 

The roundtable concluded with a discussion of Canada-Israel relations and strategies to combat misinformation and hate online. All candidates affirmed their strong support for the bilateral relationship.

 

“Israel is a longstanding friend and ally with Canada,” said Wythe. “Israel is a strong, democratic state in a very unstable part of the world. We have very close shared values and priorities, and an interest in maintaining stability in the region.”

 

“One thing that is important to me is that we don’t just treat the Canada–Israel relationship as one between two countries,” added Telford. “It requires a more globalized approach; we have to understand the context.”

 

He also spoke about expanding the scope of the Online Harms Act to address youth radicalization and restoring integrity to Canada’s immigration system.

 

More information about the Conservative Party’s platform can be found here