Plight of Syrians becomes central issue on federal campaign trail

Leaders present their views — and tear apart each other’s — on how Canada should respond to international crisis

OTTAWA— The Syrian refugee crisis dominated the federal election campaign Friday, as party leaders traded barbs over whose approach is wrong-headed and endangers lives.

Stark differences emerged over the best approach to dealing with the human tide of refugees fleeing violence in Syria.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper slammed the other parties, aiming most of his criticism at NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, saying he has adopted a “totally irresponsible position” in suggesting “we can resolve this crisis just with refugee policy.”

Harper argued a three-prong approach is required: increasing the intake of refugees from the region; supplying humanitarian aid on the ground; and offering military support to fight Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

“Anything else is inadequate and is a cop-out and this country will not do it,” Harper said, to loud applause from party supporters in Whitehorse.

Earlier, the NDP leader dismissed Harper’s claim that military action is key. Mulcair insisted Canada has the resources to start processing 10,000 Syrian refugees “before the end of this year,” something the NDP platform promises to do.

“We have the means to do that. We’ve proven it in the past (that) when we want to do something we can do it,” Mulcair said at a campaign event in Brossard, Que., on Friday. “But military action would not have saved the life of that poor boy on the beach.”

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Thursday that “Canada must immediately accept 25,000 Syrian refugees — stop dragging its heels.”

"Military action would not have saved the life of that poor boy on the beach." THOMAS MULCAIR NDP LEADER "You want to make sure that of all the millions that could apply, you’re bringing in the most vulnerable." STEPHEN HARPER CONSERVATIVE LEADER "We have (rapidly accepted refugees) in the past in moments of crisis. We can do that again." JUSTIN TRUDEAU LIBERAL LEADER

There are few details about how that plan should work. But, on Friday, Trudeau told reporters in Richmond Hill that what it takes is “simply political will.”

“We have done that in the past in moments of crisis. We can do that again.”

All three party leaders have expressed their sorrow at the images of the lifeless body of Alan Kurdi, a 3year-old Syrian boy who drowned and was washed ashore on a Turkish beach, and the mourning of his Canadian family in Coquitlam, B.C.

The governing Conservative party insists that along with humanitarian aid and refugee policy, engagement in the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is crucial to resolving the problem and to protecting Canada’s own security.

“We also have to do something about the root cause,” said Harper.

“The NDP’s position on these things is deeply ideological, and it is deeply wrong and it is out of step with what Canadians believe.”

However, the Conservative government — which relies more heavily on private sponsorship of refugees than government sponsorship, advocacy groups suggest — appears to have narrowed its focus to Kurdish Yazidis and Christian refugees fleeing persecution in the region.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander says the Conservative government, if re-elected, would allow in an “additional 10,000 persecuted ethnic and religious minorities from the region.”

Harper said Friday his approach is not based on a belief that Syrian refugees are a security threat, but that “there are issues of fairness.”

“You want to make sure that of all the millions that could apply, you’re bringing in the most vulnerable.

“Also, this is a war zone, so there are security things that have to be checked.”

The Conservatives’ proposed increase of 10,000 refugees would apply to Syrians and Iraqis, not just those from Syria where the population is fleeing a brutal dictator in Bashar Assad but also Islamic State militants, who are trying to claim territory for a fundamentalist Islamist state.

The New Democrats have targeted Syrian refugees in their plan.

The party promises to “get 10,000 government-sponsored refugees out of harm’s way and on the way to Canada by the end of this year by appointing a Syrian refugee co-ordinator, pulling resources from various departments, including Foreign Af- fairs, Citizenship and Immigration and other departments.”

The NDP’s plan calls for boosting the presence of Canadian diplomatic and immigration officials in the region to accelerate the processing of refugees; co-ordination with Turkey and other affected countries “to remove bureaucratic obstacles to resettlement;” and treating “all refugees equally.”

The NDP embraces private sponsorship of refugees and promises to fast-track private sponsorship with no cap “to bring as many people as possible to Canada.”

Mulcair says he will increase aid to humanitarian-assistance agencies, including the UNHCR, “based on the needs on the ground.”

Harper, seeking a fourth term as prime minister, acknowledged Friday that cases have to be processed more quickly.

“Look, we realize we have to bring in more and we have to do it more effectively and quickly.”

But he gave no indication how much money he could commit to streamline the processing of applicants.

The Conservative record is facing tougher scrutiny after news that the Kurdi family, which was attempting to reach Greece from Turkey when the boat they were in capsized, had relatives in British Columbia who were trying to bring the extended family to safety both in Canada and Europe.

The Harper government had set a target for Canada to accept 23,000 Iraqi refugees and 11,300 Syrians by 2017.

Of that number, Canada has already resettled nearly 22,000 Iraqis. Just 2,300 Syrians have been welcomed since 2013.