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Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:35 pm
Kenney slams Suzuki's 'anti-immigrant sentiment'
OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says he's not playing politics by blasting David Suzuki for saying Canada is "full" and shouldn't accept more immigrants.
"I speak out against anti-immigrant sentiment whether it is articulated by people on the left or the right — I don't care," he said in an interview with QMI Agency.
"Whether an environmentalist or otherwise, if you say that immigration is sickening, and crazy, and that this enormous country is full, I'm going to call you on it."
Kenney has been dogging the environmentalist and broadcaster for two days on Twitter over comments Suzuki made during an interview with French newsweekly L'Express, published July 1.
In it, Suzuki sounds the alarm over climate change and the Conservative government's economic and environmental record, then praises Pierre Elliott Trudeau's multicultural policies.
When the interviewer switches gears and asks Suzuki whether he agrees with some Australian environmentalists who oppose population growth and immigration because humans put a strain on natural resources, Suzuki replies: "Oh, I think that Canada is full, too."
"Even though it's the second largest country in the world, we have a reduced livable space. Our immigration policy is disgusting, we plunder countries in the south by depriving them of their future executives and we want to increase our population to support the growth of our economy. It's crazy!"
Suzuki went on to say Canada should nonetheless keep its doors open for refugees and those struggling to survive in other countries.
Kenney acknowledges there's room for debate over immigration policy but "to say Canada is full is beyond the pale." He also raises concerns it "gives licence" to anti-immigrant sentiment.
"I hope he would come out and say he just misspoke and understands Canada has an admirable tradition of openness to newcomers," he said.
"But I think he's speaking his mind and I hope he changes it."
Kenney boasted that Canada's system is seen as "a model" and that we choose immigrants based on their "human capital" and ability to integrate.
Suzuki was unavailable for comment Thursday.
The CBC, which broadcasts Suzuki's The Nature of Things, said in a statement: "When David Suzuki made those comments, he was speaking as a private citizen and not on behalf of CBC."
Canada is projected to accept between 240,000 and 265,000 immigrants this year. The majority will be economic immigrants, though Canada plans to accept roughly 14,500 refugees in 2013.
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Posts: 23565
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:52 am
Fascinating. Had Ezra said this, many if the farther right would have been nodding their heads as they are not big fans of the current immigration policy. Because it's someone on the left, it's sacralige!
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:06 am
Gunnair Gunnair: Fascinating. Had Ezra said this, many if the farther right would have been nodding their heads as they are not big fans of the current immigration policy. Because it's someone on the left, it's sacralige! Somehow, I get the feeling he didn't really mean that. I'll bet he'll come out in the next few days and say we should stop robbing the 'South' countries of their educated, but bring in 200,000 'refugees' a year. Will be amazed if he confirms he wants a reduction in immigration. It would be the only thing he has said in years I agree with.
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Posts: 35247
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:13 am
Gunnair Gunnair: Fascinating. Had Ezra said this, many if the farther right would have been nodding their heads as they are not big fans of the current immigration policy. Because it's someone on the left, it's sacralige! What's being said isn't important, it's on what side of the political spectrum the person saying it is.
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Posts: 7684
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:23 am
Suzuki seems to think we should only import the "hard done by" and reject the "well off".
That is not in our best interest. I'm sure Suzuki is well aware of that.
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Posts: 23565
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:33 am
saturn_656 saturn_656: Suzuki seems to think we should only import the "hard done by" and reject the "well off".
That is not in our best interest. I'm sure Suzuki is well aware of that. Not what I read. Yes, he states we are taking the cream of the southern countries, but he states catagorically that we're full as we've used most of our usable land. So no, he's not calling for bringing in more poor, uneducated, and refugees. We're full
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Posts: 5233
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:45 am
Gunnair Gunnair: Fascinating. Had Ezra said this, many if the farther right would have been nodding their heads as they are not big fans of the current immigration policy. Because it's someone on the left, it's sacralige! And if Ezra had said it, people on the left would be screaming about it. Certain segment of the left and the right just like to scream...
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Posts: 35247
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:48 am
Unsound Unsound: Gunnair Gunnair: Fascinating. Had Ezra said this, many if the farther right would have been nodding their heads as they are not big fans of the current immigration policy. Because it's someone on the left, it's sacralige! And if Ezra had said it, people on the left would be screaming about it. Certain segment of the left and the right just like to scream... Like jj and Curt... ...can you say, "cage fight"?
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Posts: 7684
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:54 am
Gunnair Gunnair: saturn_656 saturn_656: Suzuki seems to think we should only import the "hard done by" and reject the "well off".
That is not in our best interest. I'm sure Suzuki is well aware of that. Not what I read. Yes, he states we are taking the cream of the southern countries, but he states catagorically that we're full as we've used most of our usable land. So no, he's not calling for bringing in more poor, uneducated, and refugees. We're full $1: Suzuki went on to say Canada should nonetheless keep its doors open for refugees and those struggling to survive in other countries. Open doors for refugees, closed door for others. Bad. Idea.
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Posts: 13404
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:30 am
[quote="jj2424"]Kenney slams Suzuki's 'anti-immigrant sentiment
Our immigration policy is disgusting, we plunder countries in the south by depriving them of their future executives and we want to increase our population to support the growth of our economy. It's crazy!"
quote]
It's true. We vacuum up all of the doctors and engineers from every dysfunctional Third World backwater, apparently to man our taxicabs and convenience stores. Their skills sure look good on paper to the Immigration department but the controlling professional associations don't seem to think that they are worth the parchment they are printed on. Nobody is benefitting from fast-tracking these supposed "high quality" immigrants ... least of all, the immigrants themselves. We fill up our country with disappointed ex-professionals and strip their originating countries of their precious smart people. The whole system needs to be seriously re-thought and re-vamped.
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Posts: 5233
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:38 am
raydan raydan: Like jj and Curt... ...can you say, "cage fight"? So who's the favourite in that fight? And what're the odds? I'm thinking Curt has to be the favourite because of the obvious performance enhancing qualities of pot marijuana( just ask Ross Rebagliatti or a Diaz brother).
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Posts: 5233
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:39 am
Jabberwalker Jabberwalker: It's true. We vacuum up all of the doctors and engineers from every dysfunctional Third World backwater, apparently to man our taxicabs and convenience stores. Their skills sure look good on paper to the Immigration department but the controlling professional associations don't seem to think that they are worth the parchment they are printed on. Nobody is benefitting from fast-tracking these supposed "high quality" immigrants ... least of all, the immigrants themselves. We fill up our country with disappointed ex-professionals and strip their originating countries of their precious smart people. The whole system needs to be seriously re-thought and re-vamped. I can agree with this. Points for education or professional qualifications should only be awarded if that education is actually recognized in Canada.
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Posts: 21663
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:03 am
Well, those Iraqi engineers driving cabs in North Vancouver make sure their kids go to school to become doctors and such. I'd say that there's an argument to be made that bringing in educated refugees/immigrants pays off the next generation. I wonder if anyone follows up on this kind of thing to actually test the decisions of these immigration boards and such. Prob'ly not.
Yes we vacuum up the best and brightest, but what are you going to do? It would be like telling doctors that they couldn't live in Shaugnessy (tony part of Vancouver) anymore and had to move to Surrey (not-so-tony part of Greater Vancouver).
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Posts: 13404
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:07 am
Zipperfish Zipperfish: Well, those Iraqi engineers driving cabs in North Vancouver make sure their kids go to school to become doctors and such. I'd say that there's an argument to be made that bringing in educated refugees/immigrants pays off the next generation.
Yes we vacuum up the best and brightest, but what are you going to do? It would be like telling doctors that they couldn't live in Shaugnessy (tony part of Vancouver) anymore and had to move to Surrey (not-so-tony part of Greater Vancouver). That may be so but so do the brick layers ... and they are ultimately more useful to growing Canada. I fail to see how dramatically under employing Third World professionals helps and one other that the guy trying to escape some Third World S41@hole. Granting safe refuge to all of the World's disgruntled doesn't not necessarily make Canada a better place.
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Posts: 23565
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:54 pm
saturn_656 saturn_656: Gunnair Gunnair: saturn_656 saturn_656: Suzuki seems to think we should only import the "hard done by" and reject the "well off".
That is not in our best interest. I'm sure Suzuki is well aware of that. Not what I read. Yes, he states we are taking the cream of the southern countries, but he states catagorically that we're full as we've used most of our usable land. So no, he's not calling for bringing in more poor, uneducated, and refugees. We're full $1: Suzuki went on to say Canada should nonetheless keep its doors open for refugees and those struggling to survive in other countries. Open doors for refugees, closed door for others. Bad. Idea. Read a different story that didn't mention the caveat. Thanks.
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