Wednesday September 7, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 7, 2016

Kellie Leitch defends ‘anti-Canadian values’ survey question

Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch is defending a contentious survey question from her campaign team that asked supporters what they think about vetting would-be immigrants and refugees for “anti-Canadian values.”

$Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday May 4, 2016 Citizenships of about a dozen people at risk after auditor general report Immigration officials are looking at revoking the Canadian citizenship of about a dozen people after the auditor general found the government isnÕt doing enough to root out fraud in the citizenship system. Michael FergusonÕs report uncovered instances of people with serious criminal records and others using potentially phoney addresses among those who managed to secure Canadian citizenship thanks to holes throughout not just the Immigration Department but the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency as well. The cases flagged represent just a fraction of the nearly half a million people whoÕve become Canadian citizens in the last two years, but that doesnÕt mean improvements arenÕt necessary, Immigration Minister John McCallum said Tuesday. ÒThe vast majority of the cases are clear but we are not happy if even one case is fraudulently obtained and that is why we are vigorously implementing the recommendations of the auditor general,Ó McCallum said. Recommendations related to improving information sharing between departments will be implemented by the end of the year, McCallum said. Another suggestion Ñ that officers be given more power to seize fraudulent documents Ñ is currently in a bill being debated in the House of Commons. Among the cases caught by Michael FergusonÕs team: four people who were granted citizenship despite having criminal records that would render them ineligible, and two who were approved despite having committed crimes after passing a criminal-background check. The audit also revealed it took seven years for officials to cotton on to the fact a single address had been used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods. Of the 50, seven became Canadian citizens. A review of 49 cases where an individualÕs address had been flagged as problematic concluded that in 1$

May 4, 2016

The survey made headlines on Thursday, with at least one Conservative strategist calling for her to withdraw from the race.

“Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months,” Leitch wrote in an emailed statement.

“Screening potential immigrants for anti-Canadian values that include intolerance towards other religions, cultures and sexual orientations, violent and/or misogynist behaviour and/or a lack of acceptance of our Canadian tradition of personal and economic freedoms is a policy proposal that I feel very strongly about.”

September 22, 2015

The rest of the survey, which was sent to those who signed up for news from the Leitch campaign, gauges support on a variety of issues, including electoral reform, corporate tax cuts and the legalization and regulation of marijuana for recreational use.

One question refers to denying citizenship to someone who recants the pledge to the Queen after taking it; another asks about incarcerating terrorists instead of providing “therapy and counselling.”

“Oftentimes, debating and discussing these complex policies requires tough conversations — conversations that go well beyond media sound bites and simplified labels,” wrote Leitch.

“I am committed to having these conversations, to debating theses issues, and I invite Canadians to give their feedback.” (Source CBC News)

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