Tony Clement and Kevin O鈥橪eary have added their names to the list of high-profile Conservatives criticizing candidate Kellie Leitch鈥檚 plan to screen immigrants for anti-Canadian values.
O鈥橪eary told The Canadian Press Monday that Leitch鈥檚 proposal is 鈥渢otally un-Canadian.鈥�
鈥淚 wouldn't be here if that kind of mandate existed," said the TV star and businessman, whose mother immigrated to Canada from Lebanon.
Clement addressed Leitch鈥檚 proposal Monday on CTV鈥檚 Power Play, stating: 鈥淚 just think we have to work on workable solutions.鈥�
鈥淭he Conservative Party that I want to lead is a party that does support Canadian values but it鈥檚 also going to be a pro-immigration party鈥︹�� he added.
Clement held a press conference to outline his plan to protect Canadians from terrorism Monday, which he said includes working with 鈥渕oderate mainstream Muslim Canadians,鈥� a pilot project to study video-conferencing with potential immigrants, monitoring charities for signs of terror financing and jailing people suspected of terrorism.
"If they are so dangerous to the Canadian population that they deserve a peace bond slapped on them, I would put it to you that unless we can surveil them 24/7, they should be incarcerated," Clement told a news conference Monday in Ottawa.
He cited the case of Aaron Driver, an ISIS supporter who was killed last month in a confrontation with police in Strathroy, Ont., as evidence that peace bonds aren鈥檛 good enough and that suspects should instead be jailed.
RCMP were not aware of Driver鈥檚 imminent threat until they were alerted by the FBI.
Clement told Power Play that he believes there is a way to jail suspected terrorists in a way that is 鈥渓egal, judicially proper and will protect us.鈥�
鈥淵ou have to go through a legal process but you also have to protect society and make sure that people know what鈥檚 in their midst,鈥� he said.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, leadership candidates Michael Chong and Maxime Bernier, and former cabinet ministers Jason Kenney and Lisa Raitt, have also come out against
With files from The Canadian Press
