Question Period: Leitch and Canadian Identity

question period: For some, the news harkened back to a controversial moment during the election campaign last year, when Leitch promoted creating an RCMP tip line for so-called "barbaric cultural practices" such as forced marriage or female genital mutilation, according to Huffington Post Canada. The Conservative pledge spurred accusations of xenophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice. Kellie Leitch rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 24, 2015. In a statement released Friday, Leitch pledged she would not shy away from such discussions. "In my bid to become the Prime Minister of Canada, I will be putting forward policies that will make Canada safer, stronger and that will enhance a unified Canadian identity," she said. U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has also called for potential immigrants to undergo "extreme vetting" to test their views on religious freedom, gender equality and LGBTQ rights. Leitch says she feels "very strongly" about the proposal to screen potential immigrants for "intolerance towards other religions, cultures and sexual orientations, violent and/or misogynist behaviour and/or a lack of acceptance of our Canadian tradition of personal and economic freedoms." "Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months." Debating these matters, she said, requires tough conversations that go beyond "simplified labels" and sound bites. "Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months," she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.