As the Trumpocalypse serves up another “totally not just Muslims” travel ban south of the border, immigration references in the Conservative leadership race are certainly starting to pick up steam. Maxime Bernier started dropping not-so-coded references to “radical proponents of multiculturalism” who want to “forcibly change” the cultural character of the country (no, seriously), while Kellie Leitch offers up some of the questions her “values test” would include. Because you know, it’s totally not like people aren’t going to lie about the obvious answers or anything. Meanwhile, Deepak Obhrai says that statements like Leitch’s is creating an environment that could get immigrants killed, in case you worried that things aren’t getting dramatic. Oh, and to top it off, Andrew Scheer has a “survey” about terrorism that he wants people to weigh in on, and it’s about as well thought-out as you can expect.
2/ …as radical proponents of multiculturalism want.
Read my immigration proposal: https://t.co/3asYe3tB5y— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) March 6, 2017
Why not just be transparent and say "hey Kellie Leitch supporters, I'm one of you. List me second". At least that's honest. https://t.co/CFrmjIHpm2
— Rob Silver (@RobSilver) March 6, 2017
I'm looking for your opinion on terrorism (and how the government should address different policy questions): https://t.co/LvNynzzqdE
— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) March 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/stephaniecarvin/status/838798221501673473
While John Ibbitson writes about how the Conservative leadership candidates’ anti-immigrant rhetoric is a path to oblivion for the party, I would also add this Twitter thread from Emmett Macfarlane, which offers up a reminder about how our immigration system in this country actually works, because facts should matter in these kinds of debates.
https://twitter.com/emmmacfarlane/status/838879309829967874
https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838879524888670208
https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838879901725900800
https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838881353940750339