The right values
Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate believes all immigrants should be screened first with face-to-face meeting
Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch believes immigration is a serious issue in Canada.
That’s why she’s still promoting her anti-Canadian values screening program, a part of her campaign which has drawn lots of media attention these past few months.
Leitch, one of 14 people running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, dropped by The Guardian office to talk politics on Wednesday. “I put forward a common sense policy in which I think each immigrant, visitor and refugee into Canada should have a face-to-face interview,’’ Leitch told the newspaper. “Right now, only about one in 10 immigrants into Canada actually meet a Canadian-trained immigration officer face to face.’’ Leitch talks about how Canada was built on immigration, how she is pro immigration. She believes the process is made much better for both sides when a conversation happens, that it allows immigrants to get off the ground running.
“People coming to this country should educate themselves about what we’re all about; look at our immigration guide in our Constitution. I want them to be able to accept our values.’’
She says the current Liberal government has its head in the sand on the issue and hasn’t come up with a plan.
“This is a serious issue.’’
As for those entering the country illegally, Leitch believes they should be apprehended, questioned and sent back to the U.S.
“Our generosity is not to be taken advantage of.’’ Leitch, who is an orthopedic pediatric surgeon (on leave for the leadership race), also wants to dispel media stories that say she has aligned herself with President Donald Trump.
“I congratulated him on becoming president,’’ she said. “I think that’s what you do when you’re in a leadership role. I will have to work with him in the future. I want to have a working relationship with the gentleman.’’
She also addressed transfer payments, which her competitor Kevin O’Leary is not a fan of.
Leitch said it’s part of Canada’s identity.
“The Constitution talks about equalization, and we’re a federation. We made a decision in this country decades ago that we would function as a single nation, and sometimes when one part of the country did really well it would help out another part of the country and we’ve seen that ebb and flow.’’
Leitch, who is an Order of Ontario recipient, also has her MBA from Dalhousie University.
As for how she’s going to differentiate herself from her 13 competitors, Leitch said it’s simple.
“I made a decision that I’m going to talk about the ideas that Canadians are talking about every day.’’