Tensions around immigration high for the first full Conservative leadership debate

The first real glimpse into how the Conservative leadership race could shake out will come tonight when all 14 candidates take to the stage to debate in Halifax.

Certainly the first-time participation of Kevin O’Leary will change the dynamic. He joined the race just after the French-language debate in Quebec City, prompting some rivals to suggest he was “stalling,” presumably because O’Leary has indicated he struggles in French.

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But tonight’s debate, which kicks off at 7 p.m. AT/6 p.m. ET, also comes on the heels of inflamed tensions in the Conservative race. The event is hosted by the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia, so it is not among the five debates hosted by the national party. On Friday the Nova Scotia party’s leader took two of the federal leadership candidates to task for their stances on immigration.

“I completely condemn the things that Kellie Leitch and Steven Blaney have been saying,” Jamie Baillie told CBC News.

Criticism of Leitch after mosque attack

“We’ve seen a few candidates talk about values tests for immigrants, so I don’t agree with that. I’m proud of the values my country has, without needing to put a test before people who want to join us.”

Leitch has also been criticized in the wake of the Quebec City mosque attack that left six men dead. Protesters hung a banner from her constituency office in Collingwood, Ont., that featured the names of the six killed and a message that “Hate puts us all at risk.” 

After the mosque attack, leadership candidate Michael Chong tweeted that the shooting was a “direct result” of politics that play to “fears and prejudices.” His campaign confirmed he was referring to Leitch as well as Donald Trump.

Letich stands by her proposal to screen everyone entering Canada for “anti-Canadian values” and says the plan doesn’t promote prejudice because it involves interviews for each and every individual, no matter their place of origin.

Leadership candidate Maxime Bernier, right, speaks during the Conservative Party French language leadership debate on Jan. 17 in Quebec City. Also participating in that debate were, from left, Erin O’Toole, Kellie Leitch, Andrew Scheer and Pierre Lemieux. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

In the midst of the criticism she has also had to contend with the resignation of her controversial campaign manager, Nick Kouvalis. In a Facebook post, Kouvalis said he had become a distraction to the campaign. Most notably, he recently called a constitutional expert a “cuck”— short for cuckold — on Twitter. The term is used online by white nationalists and members of the so-called alt-right.

O’Leary also found himself backtracking this week when he tweeted and re-posted a video of himself shooting several automatic weapons at a Miami firing range, just as public funeral services for three of the six victims killed in the Quebec mosque shooting got underway. O’Leary later tweeted he was removing the posts “out of respect for today’s service.”

Some of his leadership rivals suggest it’s evidence that O’Leary, who was in New York City that day and owns a home in Boston, is not in touch with Canadians and their priorities. 

Jobs, health care among Halifax debate themes

​The two-hour English-language debate will be moderated by former Conservative MP Rob Moore, who lost his seat in New Brunswick in the Liberal wave that swept up all of Atlantic Canada last election.

The questions were written by the committee for the Progressive Conservative AGM and will focus on five categories: jobs, justice, the economy, health care and “a voice for Atlantic Canada.”

All 14 candidates will get a chance to respond to each question with a draw to determine the order in which they speak. Candidates get up to three chances to offer an additional rebuttal during the debate. In past debates, those rebuttal have sometimes featured pre-written and rehearsed criticisms of other candidates.

There are still two official debates left to go after Halifax. The Conservative party’s leadership committee has planned the bilingual face-offs, one in Edmonton on February 28 and another which has yet to be announced. Other unofficial debates also should attract some attention. O’Leary’s team has promised he will “surprise” when he speaks French in a Montreal area debate Feb 13.

The party will choose a new leader May 27.

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservative-leadership-debate-halifax-1.3967323?cmp=rss