As the Liberals have shifted rightward—not just on immigration but also on military spending, climate policy, and public safety—the federal Conservative leader appears to have gone looking for an issue on which to distinguish himself. He is now signalling that scapegoating immigrants and people seeking asylum will be central to that plan.
Poilievre’s allies in think tanks, lobby firms, and the media think he’s found a winning strategy. In the wake of Poilievre’s defeat in the last election, former Conservative staffer Josie Sabatino described it as a “new era” in which Poilievre can “move beyond the risk-averse messaging of a campaign.” National Post columnist Geoff Russ called it “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally turn immigration into an issue our politicians can openly and honestly debate.” Conservative activist Amy Hamm declared that the days of labelling Conservatives as racist for their views on immigration have passed.
Anti-immigrant sentiments will only grow the more immigrants are falsely blamed for problems in housing, health care and unemployment—all of which are better explained by the policies of austerity-loving politicians and the corporate class. None of these dynamics are new in Canada, but they are likely to grow with more oxygen from federal Conservatives.
He’s been courting the convoy morons the entire time, he was always going to get here because that’s what the people he cozies up to want.
Proudly new Canadian and proudly pro immigration.
“Conservative activist Amy Hamm declared that the days of labelling Conservatives as racist for their views on immigration have passed.”
No, they have not passed.
Days of that labeling (calling racism out) in the mainstream media may have passed 😬
The problem though being against what Canada is doing for immigration is not racist. You can not agree with what your country is doing.
Tell us why, comrade.
Why?
Well, for me, the issue i have personally, is we aren’t investing enough in education and Healthcare and affordable housing and infrastructure, not only for the new additions to Canada, that I am very happy to have, but for those of us already here.
Then stop voting conservative at the provincial level.
Never have, never will, and I try to get people to vote ndp at least
Ahh, the myth that immigrants are given so many handouts. That old chestnut.
What? I never said that. I want things to be better for both immigrants and those already here
But you need to grow the tax base to pay for that stuff, no?
And close tax loopholes that allow the ultra wealthy to shelter their funds.
THIS
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No acknowledgement from this writer that extremely rapid population growth passed a threshold where people finally became aware that it was causing problems. It’s not too surprising, many still refuse to see it.
What I do find surprising for someone aiming to represent “the left” is the unqualified defence of the temporary foreign workers program.
I honestly can’t see how people defend the TFW program. It artificially suppresses wages of low-income Canadians and pads the pockets of large corporations.
I honestly can’t see how people defend the TFW program
How it was originally intended (for attracting specialized skill professionals who are not available in the local economy) is defensible, but what it has been expanded to become and how far too many employers abuse it is not defensible.
For sure - I know the original intention was to try and bring in specialized workers we don’t have here. But IMO, that encourages wage suppression and hiring from outside rather than training.
Its a useful stopgap tool, but it always should have had a requirement of training an alternate candidate or showing some other longterm solution beyond permanent use of the TFW program.
And, like you said, definitely not intended for its use the way it has been now.
it always should have had a requirement of training an alternate candidate or showing some other longterm solution
Requiring the hiring of 1 trainee/apprentice type position locally for every TFW hired could be a helpful return to the original intent.
Sooo we needed a million e-bike delivery people living 12 to a room in Brampton to keep the economy afloat? What’s skilled about that?
A programme that keeps our economy going by people who will not later become a cost to it
Yeah, who needs it.
Right, but if were keeping our economy going solely on the basis of (generally) cheap imported labour, that’s going to come back to bite us in the ass unless the govt comes up with a plan to actually alleviate the labour shortage.
IMO, they haven’t, so there’s a serious problem.
I don’t doubt the TFW has a place, particularly as a stop gap, but there should be additional requirements for those positions, such as requiring an apprenticeship/entry level position to match their requirements, or some other long term planning.
Or just how inhumane it is for the workers.
Immigration in general is a right wing thing anyway. It’s why the US has so much and as Canada has continued to pivot right wing we’ve seen increases.
The left’s problem isn’t that they want immigrants, it’s that they want foreigners here and abroad to be treated and respected as people.
