{"id":178131,"date":"2018-08-22T23:36:30","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T03:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=178131"},"modified":"2018-08-27T22:10:46","modified_gmt":"2018-08-28T02:10:46","slug":"bernier-decide-wants-trudeau-win-next-election-rempel-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/08\/22\/bernier-decide-wants-trudeau-win-next-election-rempel-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernier should decide if he wants Trudeau to win next election, Rempel says"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
\u201cCanada is and should remain a country that welcomes newcomers.”(Photo<\/a>:Maxime Bernier\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OTTAWA \u2014 In an attempt to set the narrative for this week’s policy convention in Halifax, Andrew Scheer’s Conservative team laid out its policy agenda for \u201cfair, orderly and compassionate\u201d immigration, but once again was knocked off message by maverick caucus member Maxime Bernier.<\/p>\n

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel and treasury board critic Gerard Deltell held a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday to unveil the party’s immigration platform, which includes a plan to travel across the country to hear Canadians’ views.<\/p>\n

Rempel criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for what she says has been the lack of a clear vision on immigration policy. This has led to a polarization of debate over how\u00a0Canada\u00a0should manage the flow of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, she said.<\/p>\n

Canada\u00a0needs a multi-pronged and detailed immigration plan given competing demands, Rempel said.<\/p>\n

She pointed to calls from advocacy groups for\u00a0Canada\u00a0to take more refugees amid an influx of tens of thousands of irregular border crossers, as well as requests from industry and business groups for more immigration to sustain local economies in areas that also face high unemployment rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanada\u00a0is and should remain a country that welcomes newcomers,\u201d she said. \u201cThe question is under what principles and what policy \u2014 the question is how, not if.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rempel said her party would:<\/p>\n

\u2014 be more transparent about how immigration levels are determined;<\/p>\n

\u2014 completely overhaul the low-skilled temporary foreign worker program;<\/p>\n

\u2014 amend the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. to reduce the flow of irregular migrants;<\/p>\n

\u2014 and revamp resettlement services for newcomers.<\/p>\n

But try as they might to focus the discussion on policy, Rempel and Deltell found themselves fielding questions about Bernier’s latest display of defiance on his Twitter feed.<\/p>\n

In his most recent tweets, which surfaced Tuesday and Wednesday, Bernier said he believes immigration in\u00a0Canada\u00a0is at \u201ctoo high a level\u201d \u2014 one where it \u201cceases to be a tool to economically benefit Canadians and it turns instead into a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt becomes essentially a big-government policy of social engineering for ideological and electoral purposes,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

In response, Rempel \u2014 herself an often outspoken voice around the Tory caucus table \u2014 said it’s time for Bernier to decide whether he wants his own party or the rival Liberals to form the next government.<\/p>\n

\u201cMax has never come to talk to me about immigration,\u201d Rempel told the news conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would also say my colleague has a choice to make \u2014 does he want Andrew Scheer to win or does he want Justin Trudeau to win?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bernier has spent the last week and a half using his Twitter account to accuse the Trudeau government of promoting too much diversity and \u201cextreme multiculturalism,\u201d and beating back anyone calling his views into question.<\/p>\n

He was at it again upon learning Rempel had scheduled the Wednesday news conference on immigration.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter disavowing me last week for raising the issue and telling me to shut up, my colleagues have just realized that this is something Canadians find important and want to hear about? Great example of strong leadership!\u201d<\/p>\n

All of this comes as party members from across the country are convening in Halifax for their first policy convention since Scheer was elected chief last year.<\/p>\n

The three-day event, which begins Thursday, will include break-out sessions on a list of 74 resolutions and feature a keynote speech by Scheer, with an introduction from former Conservative MP Peter MacKay. Ontario Premier Doug Ford will also make an appearance.<\/p>\n

But party members and insiders have said they fear Bernier’s outspokenness could divert focus from the official agenda and cause rifts within the big blue tent.<\/p>\n

When asked whether she would support the necessary caucus vote to remove Bernier from the Tory team, Rempel says the Conservative party welcomes open debate, noting she has publicly differed with her party in the past without facing calls of expulsion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have different opinions, it leads to better public policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, Scheer said he had asked his team to work together but wouldn’t say whether he’ll take any action against Bernier, who represents the Quebec riding of Beauce.<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters from the Liberal cabinet retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen quipped he is looking forward to hearing what Bernier thinks of the Conservative immigration plan.<\/p>\n

Hussen said he didn’t see much difference between the Tory plan and current practices. \u201cIt looks like empty criticism for the sake of criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2014 In an attempt to set the narrative for this week’s policy convention in Halifax, Andrew Scheer’s Conservative team …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":167093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-178131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news-ca","category-news","mauthors-teresa-wright","mauthors-the-canadian-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}