Maple Observer - Poilievre vows to cap immigration, calls for ‘no more hyphens’

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre devoted considerable attention to the topic of immigration in his 45-minute speech at the party convention in Calgary Friday night, underscoring that a government led by him would have “no more hyphens” and “end abuse and handouts to phony refugees.”

Ahead of his leadership vote — won with 87 per cent support — Poilievre signalled a tougher immigration stance than the Liberal Party of Canada’s, even as the government has already pulled back from Justin Trudeau-era highs. He did not provide a target, but said, “[W]e must cap immigration at numbers we can integrate into our jobs, housing, health care and Canadian way of life.”

Like Conservative leaders before him, he doubled down on notions of integration, citizenship and allegiance, stressing that “We want a nation with no more hyphens, no more group labels.” While there were no references to multiculturalism, the re-elected leader is clearly against the preference among some Canadians to use hyphenated identities to describe their immigrant origins.

He appeared to go beyond Liberal promises on the topic of foreign interference, by “no longer allow[ing] foreign conflicts onto our streets” an apparent reference to large protests against the Israeli offensive in Gaza and allegations that the Indian government killed a Canadian supporter of the Khalistan separatist movement.

“When newcomers arrive in this country, just as it has always been, we will ensure that they leave differences at the doors.”

In a nod to anti-Semitism, he declared that Jews in Canada must be “able to wear the Star of David, put up the mezuzah, and wear a kippah everywhere and be proudly Jewish all around.”

Some of the other highlights from the speech that appeared targeted at newcomers and diaspora communities included:

Ensuring that immigrant skills are recognized “so that they can get licensed to work as doctors and nurses” in Canada
Opposing Liberal and Bloc Québécois efforts to remove a religious exemption to Canada’s hate speech laws: “We will stop the Liberals from censoring politically incorrect Bible verses. You will have the ability to worship God in your own way.”
Cracking down on extortion rackets and home invaders, including by empowering business owners and house occupants to defend themselves lawfully

The speech, apparently designed to show a more personable side of the Conservative leader, was emotional at times, especially when he spoke about his autistic child speaking for the first time. Poilievre’s Venezuela-born wife, Anaida, introduced him to the 2,700-odd delegates packed into the convention hall.

Leading up to the speech, Steve Outhouse, the party’s recently-appointed campaign manager, speculated that the Liberals might call an election this summer given that Prime Minister Mark Carney enjoys a lead in popularity over his Conservative rival. If an election is called, newcomers and diaspora communities are expected to be a key focus of the campaign, particularly amid reporting that these voters leaned Conservative in last April’s federal election.