Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch isn鈥檛 backing down from her proposal to screen new immigrants for 鈥渁nti-Canadian鈥� values, despite criticism from within her own party.
Speaking to Power Play host Don Martin on Wednesday, Leitch defended the controversial idea and suggested it鈥檚 not unlike current security screening methods.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not intolerant to believe in a set of values that we expect everyone to share,鈥� Leitch said in a phone interview from Quebec City, where she is taking French lessons. 鈥淚 think that being respectful of other religions, cultures (and) sexual orientations are Canadian values.鈥�
Leitch first floated the idea in an email survey last week that asked constituents: "Should the Canadian government screen potential immigrants for anti-Canadian values as part of its normal screening for refugees and landed immigrants?"
The question rankled several Conservatives, including interim leader Rona Ambrose, who said she doesn鈥檛 support the idea and doesn鈥檛 鈥渆ven know what that would look like.鈥�
Former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney said immigrants bring 鈥渄evotion and loyalty to Canada鈥� and 鈥渁nything that diminishes鈥� that is 鈥渒ind of unacceptable.鈥�
Leitch: Canada 'founded on certain values'
Leitch insisted that her idea is about preserving a 鈥渦nified Canadian identity.鈥� She identified those Canadian values in question as 鈥渆quality of opportunity,鈥� 鈥渉ard work,鈥� 鈥渇reedom鈥� and 鈥渢olerance.鈥�
鈥淭he reality is that our nation is founded on certain values,鈥� she said.
It isn鈥檛 the first time that the MP for Simcoe-Grey dabbled in the politics of so-called 鈥淐anadian values.鈥� Last fall, Leitch fronted the proposed 鈥渂arbaric cultural practices tip line,鈥� but later said she regretted her involvement.
Asked about similarities between the failed tip line and the 鈥渁nti-Canadian鈥� values survey, Leitch attempted to cast distance between the two ideas.
鈥淚 recognize that it may be easy to paint the discussion about Canadian values in that light, but my intention that day when we made that announcement was to stand up for victimized women and girls,鈥� she said.
Leitch pointed out instances in which the Conservative Party has stood up against controversial figures attempting to visit Canada, such as the misogynistic U.S. blogger Roosh V and self-professed 鈥減ick-up artist鈥� Julien Blanc.
Leitch also rejected the idea that the 鈥渁nti-Canadian鈥� values survey was an attempt to goad political rivals into entering the contentious debate.
鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to goad anyone into anything. For me, this is what I believe -- that there is a unified Canadian identity,鈥� she said.
Bernier: 'It won鈥檛 work'
Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier said he doesn鈥檛 agree with Leitch鈥檚 idea and thinks it would be ineffective in preventing possible terrorists from entering the country.
鈥淧eople who want to come in our country, usually they believe in Canadian values,鈥� Bernier said Wednesday. 鈥淚f you have somebody that wants to come as a terrorist, he will say that he believes in Canadian values. So it is unworkable. 鈥�
Bernier said Canada鈥檚 current screening system for immigrants -- a lengthy process that asks applicants about their skills, income and education -- is sufficient.
鈥淲e have a great system,鈥� he said.
Bernier also pointed to the 2014 shooting at Parliament Hill as a prime example of why Canadian immigrants aren鈥檛 necessarily the ones the government needs to be screening.
鈥淎s you know, what happened in Ottawa two years ago, that was done, that terrorist attack by 鈥� a Canadian born in Canada,鈥� he said.
However, Bernier conceded that he does agree with Leitch on 鈥渙ne part only.鈥�
鈥淭here are Canadian values: equality before the law, equality between men and women, respect and all that. But asking for a questionnaire and things like that, I don鈥檛 agree with that. It won鈥檛 be useful. It won鈥檛 work,鈥� he said.
