The news of the day yesterday was the revelation that the PMO ordered a halt to government-sponsored Syrian refugee processing for several weeks in the spring so that they could review the programme. There are some serious concerns that they had access to the personal files of those refugees, and other concerns that they were trying to pick and choose which refugees they would accept in terms of religious or ethnic minorities – screening out some Muslim claimants, much as they admitted to doing earlier in the year when they insisted they were taking “the most vulnerable.” Harper came out mid-day to insist that political staffers didn’t take part in making any decisions, and that they didn’t change any results – but neither he nor Chris Alexander refuted the facts of the story. There are curious elements, such as why they had reason to suspect that the UNHCR – which this government has offloaded the responsibility for vetting refugee claimants onto – would not be forwarding the most vulnerable cases to them already (that’s what they do), and why the government had a Danish Christian group do the audit. What’s even more curious is that only government sponsored refugees had their files halted, but privately sponsored refugees – most of those by family members or church groups in Canada – were left untouched. If there were concerns about security, would they not also be affected? Apparently not. And then comes Bob Fife’s story – that the “right communities” the government was looking to ensure the refugees came from would be those that have connections in Canada that could be exploited for votes. It’s a cynical answer, but fits the pattern that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the past number of years of this government.

On the campaign:

• Stephen Harper met with a Chinese business group in Vancouver and stated there was no political interference with those refugee files – but didn’t take questions.
• Thomas Mulcair had a town hall meeting in Toronto, and said that Harper was played for a chump with TPP negotiations.
• Justin Trudeau promised more help for transit in the GTA.

Good reads:

• In his sit-down interview with Mark Kennedy, Thomas Mulcair insists the NDP will surprise everyone, and also noted he pays “zero attention” to Trudeau. (Full Q&A here).
• Security expert Craig Forcese says all of the parties have it wrong on the C-51 issue.
• A Conservative candidate implied unemployment was driving the missing and murdered Aboriginal crisis, but later said he was taken out of context.
• It looks like some of the auto parts requirements in the TPP may be lower than the government let on, but they insist it’s not for “key Canadian parts.”
• The WWII Sikh veteran who fought to be able to wear a turban in Legion Halls decries the government’s niqab ban position.
• The woman behind the niqab ban court case says the government has tarnished the views of Muslims.
• Oh, and the niqab hysteria is hitting Parliament Hill security.
• Martin Patriquin looks at why the NDP have lost their Quebec advantage.
• Kady O’Malley offers a user’s guide to obsessing about election polls.

Odds and ends:

Parm Gill could be in trouble for sending support letters for broadcasters despite being barred from doing so as a parliamentary secretary.

The Conservative candidate in Thunder Bay apologised to veterans for how the government treats them, while the candidate in Ottawa Centre says he’s against extending the niqab ban to the civil service.

A Liberal candidate in Quebec may have violated election spending rules around advertising.