Racist remarks hurt Toronto's Olympic bid

Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman's racist remarks have sparked off an international uproar. And its fallout is likely to hit the city's bid for hosting the 2008 Olympics.

Backstage, feverish efforts are on to try and salvage the bid by whatever means possible, including keeping Mayor Lastman out of the Toronto bid team visiting other countries.

The team is slated to be in Moscow on July 13, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is slated to decide which of the five bidders should be awarded the rights to stage the Olympics in 2008.

Front-runners Beijing and Paris have reason to rejoice of the Lastman gaffe. In an interview with a Toronto Star reporter recently, in Barcelona (Spain), Lastman was quoted as saying, "What the hell, I don't want to go to a place like Mombasa. Snakes just scare the hell out of me. I'm sort of scared of going there... I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me."

The statements, unfortunate in themselves, acquired a further edge because they were made on the eve of Lastman's departure, along with the rest of the Toronto 2008 bid committee, to lobby IOC delegates who had gathered in Mombasa for the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa meeting.

A damage control meeting was called, on June 21, at the Toronto City Hall. But Lastman merely made it worse for himself by repeatedly saying 'I'm sorry', but not going beyond that prepared line.

The media response has been scathing. The Globe and Mail calls Lastman a "time bomb" who should be kept "in a bubble" as it is "a burden to be saddled with this guy and have to listen to him ticking while you're trying to win the great con game that is the Olympic bidding process."

Two Indo-Canadians are amongst the top Toronto Bid officials: Recent Order of Canada winner Bahadur Madhani, who is chair of the Community Outreach Committee, and Rahul Bharadwaj, vice president in the Bid office.

Madhani has been working for over a year to bring together the 160-odd communities living in Toronto in support of the Bid.

Both Indians preferred to maintain silence on the subject of Lastman.

Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Howard Hampton, along with House Leader of his party in the Ontario Legislature Peter Lormos, were less discreet. In a joint letter, the two leaders have asked the Mayor to resign.

"Your racist comments make it abundantly clear to us that you are no longer fit for office," the letter reads. "You, of all people, should recognize the harm caused by the telling of racist jokes. Such stereotypes are never funny."

Alvin Curling, the only coloured member of the Ontario Legislature, described Lastman's remarks as "ignorant and colonial", and joined the call for his resignation. "If the man wants to show some grace, and he is tired and he is confused, he should quit," Curling suggested.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien, currently in Stockholm on an official visit, reportedly conceded Lastman's remarks could hurt the Toronto Bid.

Ontario Premier Mike Harris also called Mayor's remarks "were wrong, and I think they're unfortunate and the timing was unfortunate ..."

It is well known that France is close to a number of African countries. Lastman's remarks give the French ammunition with which to canvass the 15 African IOC members out of the total of 121 voting members, in support of the Paris bid.

Experts indicate that it is now likely the 15 African members will vote for Paris in the first round and if the French captail fails in its bid, will then switch their votes in favour of Beijing in the second round.

International opinion meanwhile is building againt Lastman. "It's not a joke," Anita DeFrantz of the US, a candidate for the IOC presidency, has been quoted as saying. "It tells me what he's thinking and his remarks condemn him."

It is widely accepted, even by Toronto Bid Committee officials, that the 2008 race is a close one. "That means that any single mistake by any of the bid cities could be damaging," argues Toronto Star, the paper that first broke Lastman's inappropriate remarks.

Beijing is now considered as a front runner. Toronto was seen as a close second, well ahead of Paris, Osaka and Istanbul. Officials in Toronto have been working very hard, and have already launched a massive publicity blitz, besides enrolling 70,000 voters.

Lastman has been the loose cannon throughout, with a propensity to make offensive remarks and then giggling, as he is used to people saying "Oh, that's Mel", as if the Mayor has the license to say anything and get away with it.

The big question being posed by political analysts and, privately, by Toronto Bid officials, is whether Lastman will resign and thus help the damage control exercise now on.

Failing that, officials will have to take a call on whether to keep the mercurial mayor away from all interaction with IOC members and other Olympic officials.