…when the Liberals won’t listen to New Canadians
This summer, Stéphane Dion won’t be the only high-profile Liberal trying to trick Canadians.
While Mr. Dion tries to convince Canadians into paying a permanent new tax on everything, it has been reported that two of his caucus colleagues, Michael Ignatieff and Maurizio Bevilacqua, will be visiting immigrant communities where they will be working hard to conceal their own party’s record of inaction on the issues facing new Canadians.
When the Conservative Government introduced long-overdue changes to Canada’s immigration laws that would help clear the backlog of applications currently clogging the system, the Liberals were quick to try to score political points by distorting and attacking the proposed improvements.
By playing partisan political games with immigrants, the Liberals chose to disregard the criticisms of Mr. Ignatieff himself who once complained that the "paperwork and hassle in the immigration system is a scandal." (Vancouver Sun, May 15, 2006).
By playing partisan political games with immigrants the Liberals also chose to ignore Mr. Ignatieff’s own words when he judged the Liberal record saying “I think I have to admit . . . that we didn't get it done on immigration." (The Province, September 17, 2006).
Worst of all, for all of their distortions, attacks and political games, most Liberal MPs were missing in action when the time came to stand on vote on this vital issue. Both Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Bevilacqua have, in the past, refused to vote on these proposed immigration changes.
Despite their all of their talk to the contrary, both Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Bevilacqua have proven that when it comes new Canadians, the Liberal Party will always put politics first.
Immigrants and new Canadians will not be tricked.