Waterloo Region Record

Scheer says don’t call discussion on illegal immigratio­n costs racist

- TERESA WRIGHT AND KEITH DOUCETTE

HALIFAX — It began with a maverick MP throwing a hand grenade into the party he once tried to lead and ended with contentiou­s debates on abortion.

The three-day national Conservati­ve policy convention in Halifax was anything but boring.

During his keynote speech Leader Andrew Scheer warned Canadians away from what he called the “forces of political correctnes­s,” which he believes are converging on contrary ideas “and even on legitimate criticism.”

He cited Trudeau’s confrontat­ion last week with a woman at a campaign event in Quebec, where the prime minister parried questions about the cost of irregular border-crossers coming into the province with accusation­s of racism and “intoleranc­e.”

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Scheer dismissed any notion he is defending free speech for those who may be intolerant of immigrants, in light of the fact a Quebec heckler is tied to the anti-immigrant group the Storm Alliance.

“Lots of Canadians have major concerns about the impact that this current situation on the border is having — not just on the ability for municipal and provincial government­s to serve Canadians, but also what it means for new Canadians who are waiting to be reunited with a loved one who is going through the immigratio­n process the right way,” he said.

“The reaction is always the same — to smear and insult rather than actually answer the question.”

But with Maxime Bernier now recruiting members to his own party, while some “grassroots” Tories continue to push divisive issues into the limelight, concerns have emerged about rifts developing within the Conservati­ve Party of Canada. Scheer says he is not worried. People who supported Bernier did so because of the ideas he promoted, Scheer says — ideas that are largely the ideology and policies of the Conservati­ve party.

“When you’re talking about free enterprise, when you’re talking about unleashing the power of the private sector, getting government less involved in managing the economy and leaving that more and more to free enterprise — those are things our party stands for,” he said.

“All those people who are really excited to have a government that prioritize­s those things find themselves at home and welcome and a main part of the party as it is now.”

But as the convention came to a close on Saturday, it became clear there are some voices within the Conservati­ve party that are more socially conservati­ve than Scheer seems willing to go with his policies.

Calling themselves “grassroots” members during policy debates, groups of delegates pushed forward several resolution­s involving abortion, euthanasia and gender identity.

“We are not the Liberals, we are not the NDP.

“We do not tell our members what to think or what to say. We let members of Parliament have a free vote on most moral issues, but this is in our policy book saying they don’t have a free vote,” Patrick Hanlon from St. John’s, N.L. said of the party’s existing abortion policy.

“We need to take it out. We need to support democracy, freedom and liberty for all.”

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