immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

leitch: A new Forum Research Inc. poll for the Toronto Star shows that Leitch may be tapping into an idea that Canadians favour with 67 per cent saying immigrants should indeed be screened for "anti-Canadian values." More importantly for Leitch, the poll shows that the idea is especially popular among Conservative supporters with 87 per cent backing the idea and just eight per cent opposed compared to 57 per cent support among Liberals and 59 per cent for New Democrat voters, according to The Waterloo Record. That certain to be the reason that Leitch proposed the idea — and has stuck by it in the face of criticism, said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. "If you're going after the base, this is like red meat for them. Conservative MP Kellie Leitch, a candidate in her party leadership contest, has floated the idea of screening newcomers for their attitudes on intolerance toward other religions, cultures and sexual orientations and reluctance to embrace Canadian freedoms. They're going to love this," he said Friday. "This is hitting the nail right on the head." When asked to choose the values respondents believe are important, equality came out on top , followed by patriotism , fairness and tolerance . Conservative backers put patriotism at the top their list of important values. Just one-quarter of respondents disagreed with the idea of screening for values and nine per cent had no opinion. Liberals and New Democrats ranked equality as their first choice. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dog-whistle politics: So does rival leadership candidate and Calgary MP Deepak Obhrai, according to The Waterloo Record. Critics accuse the Collingwood physician of trying to whip up anti-Muslim sentiment. Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose says it a bad idea. Ontario MP Michael Chong, who is also contesting the Conservative leadership, has called her proposal "the worst of dog-whistle politics." She has been reviled in the country editorial pages as an intolerant xenophobe. I suspect that because she figures a lot of Conservative Party members — and a fair number of Canadians generally — agree with her. But she is sticking to her guns, as she did Thursday on CBC Radio. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

knots: The NDP has had its own existential crisis this week, leaving a federal political landscape with its two main opposition blocs consumed by internal disagreements over what their parties stand for and how they should seize the future, according to Brandon Sun. As they soul-search, the Liberals are edging ahead with new policies and approaches that could change the way we relate to the broader world. Conservative leadership contender Kellie Leitch polling on whether newcomers to the country should be screened for their Canadian-ness has her Conservative competitors tying themselves in knots, and the chattering classes wondering if there is a growing market of voters who would be driven to cast ballots based on how they perceive immigrants. Here are three ways federal politics affected Canadians this week:OPPOSITION DISORDERLeitch persistence on identity politics forced several of her rivals into a corner this week, prompting them to engage on the touchy subject of how much newcomers should be pushed into being like the rest of us. It wasn't the only party wrestling with its internal dynamics. The debate has shaken up the Conservative leadership race, with its ever-lengthening list of candidates, and drawn condemnation from some lifelong Conservatives worried that the party will be scarred as intolerant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party: None more so than Ontario PC MP Kellie Leitch, according to Brandon Sun. As of late, she appears bent on the style of "dog whistle" politics resonating south of the border. Although still in doubt as to whether some of the big players, such as former Tory defence minister Peter McKay, will step into the ring, much has been said by some of the smaller names to come forward. And although claiming to want to "create a discussion," her stance may threaten to derail her party search to find a credible leader. Little that is left, however, resembles the party of the late 1990s, and thus far even less represents the direction the Tories need to take if they hope to assume the top office in the country again any time soon. With former prime minister Stephen Harper steering his horse into the sunset, the dust seems to have settled now on the Conservatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-canadian values: I don't think she understands the nuance around these issues, according to CTV. You have to be very careful in the way you articulate questions about integration." Leitch, a Conservative MP from Ontario, emailed a survey last week to supporters that included a question about whether the federal government should screen potential immigrants and refugees for "anti-Canadian values." She later said she is protecting Canadian values from people who believe that women are property and can be beaten or that gays and lesbians should be stoned. Following a speech in downtown Calgary on Friday, Kenney, who is seeking the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership, said he believes Leitch is pursuing an "improvised position" without understanding the negative impact of her words. "I don't take her position seriously, she never articulated it before," Kenney said. "She never said a word about this in Parliament, caucus or cabinet. Despite widespread criticism including unflattering comparisons to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Leitch has defended her position that screening is needed without saying how immigration officials would actually vet new Canadians. He boasted Friday that more immigrants became permanent residents of Canada -- 1.5 million -- when he was minister than under any other immigration minister. Kenney, a federal MP representing Calgary since 1997, was immigration minister from October 2008 to July 2013. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

art installation: There, they were feted and photographed, but here in Nova Scotia, little attention was paid, according to The Chronicle Herald. Now, Sean Day, a Nova Scotian urban planner, hopes to bring the captain of the four-man crew back to Halifax to mark the anniversary of the brave voyage with a ceremony beside the water, likely in October, and later, he hopes, an art installation. After a perilous 88-day journey during which they encountered sharks, storms and near-starvation, the men landed in England. Day said it would be fitting to take Henri Beaudout, now 89 and the sole surviving member of the crew, on a boat ride of the harbour so he could feel the swell of the Atlantic under him. Speaking by phone Friday with his close friend Louis Hardy acting as translator, Beaudout tells how, as a 16-year-old during the war in Europe, he ran messages for the French Resistance, until his contact, a postal clerk, was arrested. In 1952 Beaudout was a French immigrant to Canada, struggling with what modern scientists call post-traumatic stress disorder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brampton courtroom: The women will have a sentencing hearing together on Nov. 25, according to Hamilton Spectator. Muzikante declined to comment following Friday court appearance, as did her lawyer, Donald Bitter. Milana Muzikante pleaded guilty Friday to mischief in a Brampton courtroom, two months after co-accused Lilia Ratmanski did the same. No agreed statement of facts explaining what happened on the plane was provided to the court. Bitter told the court that Muzikante has already agreed to complete 100 hours of community service. The Crown is seeking a suspended sentence, while Bitter told the court he will be asking for an absolute or conditional discharge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

britain: Our economy provides a reasonable degree of economic certainty in an uncertain and volatile world, according to Globe and Mail. And ours is a society with emerging entrepreneurial communities that have big aspirations – to build world-class innovation ecosystems and create world-class, innovative firms. We value newcomers and what they have to offer. But opportunity does not equal reality unless it seized and realized. Why now Consider the uncertainty in Britain for promising startups and entrepreneurs in the London-Cambridge innovation ecosystem. And that means actively prospecting for such global talent in places such as Britain, the United States, France and Germany, to name several obvious targets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbsa agent: Handfield immediately filed an appeal with the CBSA agent who ordered the deportation and was told a decision will be made by Monday or Tuesday, according to Brandon Sun. Torre pleaded guilty in 1996 in a cocaine conspiracy case involving Montreal Cotroni crime family and served part of his nine-year sentence in prison. The Canada Border Services Agency told Michele Torre, 64, he'll be deported to his native Italy on Sept. 16."They already have a plane ticket," Torre lawyer, Stephane Handfield, said in an interview, adding Ottawa only began deportation proceedings in 2013. His daughter, Nellie, 38, broke into tears during a phone interview describing how her father will be leaving behind his ailing wife, three children and six grandchildren behind. One day, his bosses told Torre to go and pick up a package they said was coffee, she added."He only found out three days later why he got arrested," she said. "It was a set-up. She says Torre worked as a cook in a Montreal cafe in 1992 before it was bought by organized crime members in 1994. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian tradition: By Paul Wells National Affairs Fri., Sept. 9, 2016 In fairness to Kellie Leitch — no wait, come back — it would have been surprising if no candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada leadership had run on identity politics, according to Toronto Star. Leitch, of course, is the physician and Conservative MP who has been vaulted from obscurity into a sort of pallid, sickly limelight for suggesting it would be a swell idea to screen potential immigrants for anti-Canadian views that include 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. In the current field of certain or probable candidates, the two who most closely fit those requirements are Andrew Scheer, the former Commons Speaker, above, and Erin O'Toole, writes Paul Wells. There are enough examples around the world of politicians who have sought to profit from fear of outsiders that I was actually wondering, before Leitch made her move, why that particular tactical position seemed destined to lay unoccupied in the Conservative race. Trump, in particular, will have plenty of imitators in years to come. From Marine Le Pen in France to the anti-immigrant UKIP party in Britain, to Donald Trump in the U.S., there are plenty of examples. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian: Leitch values weapon may be too blunt and dull to be called Orwellian . But her recent comments on immigrant screening still qualify as dog-whistle politics, with the messages pitched to a frequency only bigots can tune in clearly, according to The Chronicle Herald. She talks about protecting Canadian values. Leitch says we should apply a Canadian values test to screen immigrants. They hear, Keep out the Muslims. Do you like hockey Love it. Just imagine assigning immigration bureaucrats to test newcomers for Canadian values. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbsa agent: Handfield immediately filed an appeal with the CBSA agent who ordered the deportation and was told a decision will be made by Monday or Tuesday, according to CTV. Torre pleaded guilty in 1996 in a cocaine conspiracy case involving Montreal Cotroni crime family and served part of his nine-year sentence in prison. The Canada Border Services Agency told Michele Torre, 64, he'll be deported to his native Italy on Sept. 16. "They already have a plane ticket," Torre lawyer, Stephane Handfield, said in an interview, adding Ottawa only began deportation proceedings in 2013. His daughter, Nellie, 38, broke into tears during a phone interview describing how her father will be leaving behind his ailing wife, three children and six grandchildren behind. One day, his bosses told Torre to go and pick up a package they said was coffee, she added. "He only found out three days later why he got arrested," she said. "It was a set-up. She says Torre worked as a cook in a Montreal café in 1992 before it was bought by organized crime members in 1994. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

examples: There are enough examples around the world of politicians who have sought to profit from fear of outsiders that I was actually wondering, before Leitch made her move, why that particular tactical position seemed destined to lay unoccupied in the Conservative race, according to The Chronicle Herald. From Marine Le Pen in France to the anti-immigrant UKIP party in Britain, to Donald Trump in the U.S., there are plenty of examples. Leitch, of course, is the physician and Conservative MP who has been vaulted from obscurity into a sort of pallid, sickly limelight for suggesting it would be a swell idea to screen potential immigrants for anti-Canadian views that include 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. Trump, in particular, will have plenty of imitators in years to come. Win-win! Candidates who stake out such positions usually find there is a low ceiling to their support. Surely, demagogues and race-baiters around the world are telling themselves, I could push the same buttons Trump pushes and come across as less of a bellowing orange-faced country-club mutant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

knots: The NDP has had its own existential crisis this week, leaving a federal political landscape with its two main opposition blocs consumed by internal disagreements over what their parties stand for and how they should seize the future, according to Metro News. As they soul-search, the Liberals are edging ahead with new policies and approaches that could change the way we relate to the broader world. Conservative leadership contender Kellie Leitch polling on whether newcomers to the country should be screened for their Canadian-ness has her Conservative competitors tying themselves in knots, and the chattering classes wondering if there is a growing market of voters who would be driven to cast ballots based on how they perceive immigrants. Here are three ways federal politics affected Canadians this week:OPPOSITIONAL DISORDERLeitch persistence on identity politics forced several of her rivals into a corner this week, prompting them to engage on the touchy subject of how much newcomers should be pushed into being like the rest of us. It wasn't the only party wrestling with its internal dynamics. The debate has shaken up the Conservative leadership race, with its ever-lengthening list of candidates, and drawn condemnation from some lifelong Conservatives worried that the party will be scarred as intolerant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leitch: I don't take her position seriously, she never articulated it before, Kenney said, according to Toronto Star. She never said a word about this in Parliament, caucus or cabinet. Following a speech in downtown Calgary on Friday, Kenney, who is seeking the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership, said he believes Leitch is pursuing an improvised position without understanding the negative impact of her words. I don't think she understands the nuance around these issues. Leitch, a Conservative MP from Ontario, emailed a survey last week to supporters that included a question about whether the federal government should screen potential immigrants and refugees for anti-Canadian values. You have to be very careful in the way you articulate questions about integration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

moose: The food farm, located in Moose Jaw Wakamow Valley, was created to help sustainably feed vulnerable populations in the city, according to Metro News. This season, it yielded just over 1,300 kg of potatoes and carrots, among other produce. The second annual Mosaic Community Food Farm harvest is a collaboration between the potash mining company and advocacy groups such as Hunger in Moose Jaw, Riverside Mission, Moose Jaw and District Food Bank and Tree Canada. Celeste Geisbauer, Mosaic senior community investment specialist, says it been a real bonus to have the Syrian refugees take part and learn what kind of vegetables can be grown in Saskatchewan. Farming is nothing new for refugee Mohammed Aboukhir."I have farmed in before, and I worked more than 20 years — all week and weekend — at my farm," said Aboukhir. She says the food harvested will be stored into the fall and winter and will help food agencies well into the new year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

multicultural crowd: Elizabeth Seton gym filled with students in grades 7 to 9 students, according to CBC. He used a recent incident as a way to relate to the multicultural crowd. Jesse Lipscombe spoke in a St. Edmonton man targeted by racial slurs captures 'disgusting' exchange on video Lipscombe was downtown on Aug. 31, filming a public service announcement about how Edmonton is a great place to live, when a group of strangers in a car pulled up at a nearby intersection. Rather than walk away, Lipscombe, a former high jumper who owns a fitness studio, walked over to the car and calmly confronted the men inside. The men yelled "The n----rs are coming, the n----rs are coming," over and over again. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ymca centre: Spread out among 48 schools in Nova Scotia, they're eager to help newcomers learn English and adjust to life in a new country and a new school, according to CBC. Fourteen-year-old Midya Hamo moved to Halifax from Syria in February. It a big week for YMCA settlement staff and volunteers, too. It her first day of Grade 9 and only four months ago she started learning English through the support of the YMCA Centre for Immigrant Programs. I don't speak English but now I know, I'm so happy," she said. "Now I am living here, I am so happy." Intensive learning Hamo has spent her weekdays with the YMCA this summer, making friends with other immigrants and breaking down language barriers as well as getting familiar with living in a new country. Acadia hosts English summer school for new immigrants "I came to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

client relationships: We call it customer obsession, according to NOW Magazine. I'm here to nurture our client relationships.I'm from Syria and after high school I studied English literature at Damascus University. I ensure end-to-end delivery of our clients' technical projects, which makes me the first contact with the client, and I'm responsible for collecting information and analyzing gaps in our processes. I specialized in translation and started working with the United Nations. Because I'm good in math, I taught myself computer skills and worked as a project manager in oil and gas. Then I moved into the oil and gas sector. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

english-rights manifesto: Indeed, days before it opened, a neighbour told me bluntly that the wooden barracks that were the temporary home of my new high school would be burned down before year end, according to The Waterloo Record. Had a government at the time of the War Measures Act set up a snitch line to report on so-called barbarian cultural practices or their 1970 equivalent, the French-speaking communities that lived outside Quebec would have been considered by many as the ground zero for the fostering of anti-Canadian values. At the time the school was the target of enough anonymous threats to warrant extra police protection. Those were the days when an English-rights manifesto famously titled Bilingual Today, French Tomorrow became a bestseller in some circles. The masterminds behind the residential school system that destroyed the social fabric of so many of Canada indigenous communities were even more imbued with notions of superiority as to their values. The then-Progressive Conservative party in particular was home to a solid contingent of followers who thought a Quebec-led federal government was out to use official bilingualism to wipe the English language and the country British heritage and values off the Canadian map. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fire storm: So why would we not ask some simple questions with regards to whether you believe in the equality of rights " Kellie Leitch, CBC radio The Current, Sept.8, 2016.____Conservative leadership contender Kellie Leitch has sparked a fire storm with her suggestion that prospective immigrants should be vetted for "anti-Canadian values."Related Items Articles Kenney dismisses Leitch position on screening immigrants for 'anti-Canadian values'Among the values she says should be unwelcome are "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."Leitch has not spelled out how her proposed screening process would work but she has dismissed the concerns of leadership rivals and others who have argued the scheme is unacceptable, unnecessary and unworkable, according to Brandon Sun. She has said it akin to conducting security checks and just a matter of asking would-be newcomers some "simple questions."But immigration experts say merely asking simple questions would be meaningless; prospective immigrants would quickly learn to give the "correct" answers but not necessarily honest ones. We ask individuals what their income is. To attempt to do such screening seriously would cost a fortune and require hiring thousands of professional interviewers trained to detect applicants who weren't being truthful about their real values, experts warn. Spoiler alert: The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of "no baloney" to "full of baloney" . This one earns a ranking of "full of baloney" — there nothing simple about trying to vet people for so-called anti-Canadian values.THE FACTSCurrently, prospective immigrants undergo security and criminal checks. And even that, they say, would probably be ineffective. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

items articles: Related Items Articles Full of baloney: Leitch claim that values testing immigrants would be simple Clement proposes more security screening for immigrants, no values test"She never said a word about this in Parliament, caucus or cabinet, according to Brandon Sun. I don't think she understands the nuance around these issues. Following a speech in downtown Calgary on Friday, Kenney, who is seeking the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership, said he believes Leitch is pursuing an "improvised position" without understanding the negative impact of her words."I don't take her position seriously, she never articulated it before," Kenney said. You have to be very careful in the way you articulate questions about integration."Leitch, a Conservative MP from Ontario, emailed a survey last week to supporters that included a question about whether the federal government should screen potential immigrants and refugees for "anti-Canadian values."She later said she is protecting Canadian values from people who believe that women are property and can be beaten or that gays and lesbians should be stoned. Kenney, a federal MP representing Calgary since 1997, was immigration minister from October 2008 to July 2013. Despite widespread criticism including unflattering comparisons to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Leitch has defended her position that screening is needed without saying how immigration officials would actually vet new Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

misogynist behaviour: So why would we not ask some simple questions with regards to whether you believe in the equality of rights " Kellie Leitch, CBC radio The Current, Sept.8, 2016. ____ Conservative leadership contender Kellie Leitch has sparked a fire storm with her suggestion that prospective immigrants should be vetted for "anti-Canadian values." Among the values she says should be unwelcome are "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." Leitch has not spelled out how her proposed screening process would work but she has dismissed the concerns of leadership rivals and others who have argued the scheme is unacceptable, unnecessary and unworkable, according to Guelph Mercury. She has said it akin to conducting security checks and just a matter of asking would-be newcomers some "simple questions." But immigration experts say merely asking simple questions would be meaningless; prospective immigrants would quickly learn to give the "correct" answers but not necessarily honest ones. We ask individuals what their income is. To attempt to do such screening seriously would cost a fortune and require hiring thousands of professional interviewers trained to detect applicants who weren't being truthful about their real values, experts warn. Spoiler alert: The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of "no baloney" to "full of baloney" . This one earns a ranking of "full of baloney" — there nothing simple about trying to vet people for so-called anti-Canadian values. And even that, they say, would probably be ineffective. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

backroom insights: Order this photo By Bob Hepburn Politics Thu., Sept. 8, 2016 When Olivia Chow first entered the 2014 campaign to become Toronto next mayor she was considered the overwhelming favourite to win the race against Rob Ford and John Tory, according to Toronto Star. Her name recognition was high as an NDP MP and as the widow of the late Jack Layton, she had raised lots of money, had an experienced campaign team, a bulletproof election platform and hundreds of eager volunteers. A book being published his month by Chow campaign manager, John Laschinger, provides backroom insights into the failed campaign despite Chow being the early frontrunner to replace then-mayor Rob Ford. But after leading the polls for months, her campaign eventually faltered badly and she finished a distant third behind the winner Tory and runner-up Doug Ford, who replaced his ailing brother Rob in the last weeks of the campaign. Article Continued Below As Laschinger sees it, Chow dream of being Toronto mayor ran into a wall of bad luck, bad timing, blatant racism and sexism — and a possibly fatal overall campaign strategy. So what happened How did this high-profile, seasoned politician crash and burn so badly Now, in a revealing new book by John Laschinger, her former campaign manager, voters can get an insider look into the backroom secrets and strategies of one of the most critical elections in recent Toronto history. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: The newspaper said the TDSB tried to accommodate the family by offering a variety of solutions, including one that would see the children learn about the history of music in Islam, but the father turned them down, according to The Chronicle Herald. A TDSB spokesman declined to discuss the case with The Canadian Press on Thursday citing privacy reasons, but he said the board "always works with parents to try to find some happy medium" while at the same time still following Ministry of Education rules. "Unfortunately we can't offer exemptions because we are required to teach the Ontario curriculum," Ryan Bird said. Mohammad Nouman Dasu has been engaged in a three-year fight with the Toronto District School Board over his decision to take his children home for an hour during music class, according to the Globe and Mail, which first reported about the case earlier this week. Lauren Bialystok, an assistant professor in ethics and education at the University of Toronto, believes the school board did the right thing by refusing to exempt the children from music class. "An exemption gives too much power to parental management of the child education," she said. "It does a disservice to the student in question and to that student peers and it communicates that our diversity is such that we can't live together or learn about different things together. The problem, Ippolito said, lies in the question "where do you draw the line " "That the wrong question, that inflammatory," he said. "The kind of questions we should be asking is 'how do we move this conversation forward '" Ippolito believes the solution to these problems, which he said pop up all the time, rests in the relationships between educators and parents. That a very dangerous message." John Ippolito, an associate professor in the faculty of education at York University, said he believes schools are doing a pretty good job in accommodating a whole slew of parental concerns, but the problem should never reach a standoff. "This is a disaster, this is a situation that has to be avoided at all costs," he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian values: The Conservative MP from Ontario sparked some life into a sleepy summer leadership race last week when she emailed a survey — ending with solicitations for both votes and donations — to supporters that included a question about whether the federal government should screen potential immigrants and refugees for anti-Canadian values, according to Toronto Star. This is about protecting Canadian values and people that believe that women are property, that they can be beaten and bought or sold, or believe that gays or lesbians should be stoned because of who they love, don't share in my opinion, basic Canadian values, Leitch said in an interview with The Canadian Press. By Joanna Smith The Canadian Press Wed., Sept. 7, 2016 OTTAWA—The Conservative leadership campaign of Kellie Leitch is trying to goad her rivals and caucus colleagues into reacting to her proposal that newcomers be vetted for their views on gender equality, religious tolerance, belief in hard work and other values she says make up a unified Canadian identity. Some other leadership hopefuls — as well as Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose — have been come out against the idea to various degrees over the past week, and discussions are likely to continue behind closed doors at the caucus retreat next week in Halifax, where the nascent race to replace former prime minister Stephen Harper is expected to start picking up steam. Article Continued Below They are throwing a wedge down and trying to get everybody else on the other side of the issue, Lietaer said Wednesday. Conservative strategist Jason Lietaer said forcing a response is no doubt part of Leitch plan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.