Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, released the following statement on Raoul Wallenberg Day:
“Today, we remember a man who was truly a light in the darkness: a beacon of integrity and courage in a time of oppression and death.
“Born into a distinguished Swedish family, Raoul Wallenberg lived up to the renown of his name. As part of the Swedish mission to German-occupied Hungary, he helped save thousands from the Nazi Holocaust.
“Wallanberg’s feat is even more remarkable when we consider that it was his first-ever diplomatic posting.
“Walking a tightrope that involved negotiations with an occupying power, the safe houses and protective documents Wallenberg and his colleagues created were all that stood between many Hungarian Jews and near-certain death on forced marches or in camps.
“His own demise as a prisoner of the Stalinist regime shows how he – like so many in Central Europe – was tragically caught between two of the twentieth century’s most heinous regimes.
“As we celebrate Canada’s first honorary citizen, we reflect on a man who truly met his moment – a hero in the face of almost unimaginable evil.”