Leadership Campaign: Vet Immigrants and Cabinet Minister

leadership campaign: The Ontario MP and former cabinet minister initially declined to get into the debate over a proposal from leadership rival Kellie Leitch to vet immigrants and refugees for their views on what she calls anti-Canadian values, according to Guelph Mercury. The idea was first floated in a questionnaire her campaign emailed to thousands of potential supporters last week. That where our focus should be," Clement said in an interview from Montreal. But with discussion over the Leitch proposal still dominating the otherwise sleepy leadership campaign and other candidates speaking up, Clement said Thursday he decided to comment to keep the issue from overshadowing his policy announcement next week. Clement said he did not want to go into any detail about his security proposal before his formal news conference Monday, but did refer to a June 2015 report from the Senate national security committee. Clement said Leitch "trial balloon", is not the right approach. "I think spending our resources to have government personnel deciding who or who is not going to be a good Canadian is neither practical nor desirable, but I do believe that we should enhance our ability to screen out individuals who pose a threat to our society," Clement said. "That where our focus should be, not on the many immigrants who actually add to our society." Clement said that should he be selected as leader next May, the party will be "pro-Canadian values," but that is not all. "It will also be pro-immigration, it will be pro-national security and it will be pro-jobs and that the kind of party that can win the next election," he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.