In the eight-year-old audio recording, Calgary MP and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity Jason Kenney suggests members of an ethnic minority will use "the race card" to win arguments.
On the call, Kenney agrees it would be a problem and asks for more information: "Now, this notion that there's somebody tied to the Heritage Front on the executive. How do we know that and how do we know that this isn't overheated Sikhs using the race card, which they so often do when their credentials are being questioned?"
"The Chinese community is very different from the Indo-Canadian community. The Chinese community are much more objective. No one can force them, or lure them, or cheat them into signing a membership form."
What a sophisticated understanding, approaching ethnic groups as monoliths, heaping negative connotations on to an entire community. This is your bridge builder? Wow, I'm at a complete loss why you haven't made any headway.
22 comments:
Steve,
Now that the media has shown they are willing to splash this stuff around, we can both safely bet that more of this will come bubbling out into the open.
Enjoy the muckraking.
I recommend you look toward Little Johnny Baird for some juicy ones. I'll see what I can find on Lizzie May and Iggy.
Tomm
Oh, I'm sure you can find some quotes here and there, but if Cons want to try tit for tat, on unseemly remarks from the past, they'll be swamped. Harper alone has a double album of greatest hits.
For the record I don't think Kenney said that stuff about the Chinese community. Check your link again.
I don’t want to engage in gratuitous Liberal bashing here-- particularly while faced with such offensive comments coming from a Conservative MP--but I have to ask: do the Liberals really still feel comfortable voting to give these guys unprecedented new discretionary power over the immigration system?
Again, I get that first and foremost it’s Jason Kenney who has to make amends here, but Steve--as a charter member of the Anti-Nervous-Nellies Liberal Bloggers Caucus--I’m guessing you’ve to be pretty angry with Dion & Co. right now for rubber stamping the Cons immigration package.
These Anonymooses must be buying the NaPo pap headlines. When something gets first reading, that doesn't mean its law. Nor when the NdP's attempt at 'doubling down' on the CON budgetry shenanigans mean that the coast is clear.
All parties are deep into strategy mode, and the Grits are right on course to let this immigration brouhaha steam abit before the third act.
Nice try on a decoy duck from Kenney's turgid remarks. But guys like Tommy and the other Blue Mean Group can look aghast all they want. Haven't their own CON crew been stripping comments from debates (Dion's 'It isn't easy making priorities) and speeches (something about making millions and millions on new technology) with little regard to what the actual meaning and context of the orginal quote came from? But go ahead and cry if yah want to, CON-babies.
In Calgary, we in the South Asian Community (note, ahem, monolithic community reference) recall the comments, and have actually hated Jason Kenney for quite some time. But, the fact that we were in conservative Calgary means you learn to overlook these things... so much so, that some sellouts from our community even seek nominations for this same party.
Ever go to a party where you're not invited - and not really wanted? That's what a South Asian (or any other visible minority, for that matter) feels like when attending a Conservative - especially Western Conservative - party function or riding association meeting. If one of your kind DARES run for something, watch the others line up against you. The ridings where there are some visible minority reps are ridings where they were able to take over nomination meetings, knowing that the only way they could get elected in the province was on a Conservative "ticket"...
Giving Jason Kenney this portfolio always seemed like a bad joke.
btw, Nanos has some new numbers: Nanos, Sun
"overheated Sikhs" indeed
under-baked Reform Party, I'd say
Another tape??? Wow, you can't help but wonder how many others might be out there... How much do you want to be there will be a new bill before the House on Monday that will force the destruction of any video tape made before April 1 2008??? :)
You are quoting a LIBERAL Steve, not Kenney:
'...Raymond Chan, Liberal Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and current MP for Richmond.:(said)
"The Chinese community is very different from the Indo-Canadian community. The Chinese community are much more objective. No one can force them, or lure them, or cheat them into signing a membership form."
Is he (Liberal MP) saying that the Sikhs can be lured, and cheated into signing Liberal membership forms??
HA HA! Pwned!
And I call bullshit to westerngrit's comment. In my EDA (Surrey North) there are plenty of South Asian members and they are treated no different than I am.
Put the race card back in your pocket lefties.
OMG clh, those Ontario poll numbers are insane! Liberals at 50% in Ontario!! If this was not a Nik Nanos poll, I would have ignored it but holy shit, with those kind of Ontario numbers Liberals should be forcing an election right NOW.
This incident should lock up the ethnic vote for the Liberals which apparently was wavering towards the tories.
As one commentator pointed out the offensive quote in bold was uttered by a Liberal MP Raymond Chan. How the comments of a Liberal indicate the "true" feelings of the Conservatives is beyond me.
To Jim: You just illustrated my point about certain ridings. I live in Fleetwood-Port Kells - where there is another "back-bench-window-dressing" MP. She and her husband became Reformers when he lost a nomination battle for the Liberal ticket in that seat. The votes that go to her tend to be based on who she is, and NOT what she represents. It's the same thing, with a divided community, and one person or persons (she and her husband) having the networking skills to win a personality battle - having nothing to do with conservative policy. I know. I've been to the meetings. I've been to their homes. There's no discussion of any policy (with the exception of immigration).
Your riding is one that's a bit more polarized. There is quite a battle going on regarding a Punjabi school, parking for truckers, the "giant house scare", etc. All these things have created an air of "fear" resulting in a large block of votes going to the Cons. This election you'll see quite a few votes go to the NDP and Liberals - from visible minorities.
I gotta ask, though (because I know people who've stated the reality), what are you're meetings like SINCE you've had your nomination??? Not as "colorful" I'd say...
; )
Sorry... meant "your" meetings...
anon, actually the words in quotes are being attributed to Jason Kenney saying that Raymond Chan said that. There is no indication Kenney has Chan on tape so it is not clear if Kenney is adlibbing or has something more definitive.
Claude, yes, Nanos Ontario numbers are very high for the Liberals. Another poll (Segma) was released today which has lower numbers for the Liberals across Canada (30%). It was a larger poll but perhaps not as solid methodology.
Well, westerngrit, as for the meetings in my EDA being less "colourful", I can't say that is the case, but then again, I am not hugely active in the riding now due to my dislike of the Conservative candidate.
As for more votes going to the NDP and the Libs in the next election...hard to tell in this riding, but it can't possibly be any worse than the last when my neighbours had the stupidity to elect Penny Priddy.
I wish we had a Libertarian Party candidate...hmmm, maybe I should join that party and run! ;)
BTW, nice to know we are neighbours!
Actually Richard Chan's comments were widely reported in the media. I'm quite certain the Kenny feels quite safe quoting an article in the Calgary Herald.
As for westerngrit: keep spinning your myths I'm sure that one day people will actually believe you. Of course they are the same people who believe 9/11 was an inside job but I'm sure someone will believe you.
Kenney apologizes.
Jim... Yeah, I have no clue how they managed to end up with Priddy. Probably an ugly vote split...
Joe... I worry about those "inside jobbers" all the time... After all, what American Cons (ie - Halliburton/Cheney, et al) did after 9-11 was simply make money off someone else's misfortune. That pissed me off. Oh yeah, and I love the US more than you'd know. I lived there for many years - AND most of my family is there (including those serving in the forces). I just don't care for having a small group of the "nutbar" right running the show (into the ground). A great nation is being destroyed...
... But that's completely off topic for this blog post, isn't it? Just why would you bring up the 9-11 reference?
As far as what goes on in the "political scene" in the provinces I lived in... I can say that I've been active in 3 political parties (one as a member, and two via friends who I helped). In Sask. we had a weekly drinking session on someone's front porch - with members of 4 political parties - and we all shared a lot of important info - and learned a lot about honest debate. What I talk about in my blog is what I experienced myself...
Cheers!
April 13, 2008: When you see Harper (smug as always) on TV spouting nonsense, it takes you back to the day that he earnestly addressed Canadians and promised to leave Income Trusts as they were. And I am ashamed to say I voted Conservative and even worked for the Party. If you wish to say I must have a screw loose, you are right. Dion's English is not great (Harper's French is passable) but that doesn't preclude him being an honest man and a true Canadian(who was the author of the Clarity Bill)
Lester Pearson lisped badly but Canadians voted for him. Harper follows that idiot Bush and thinks that gives him credence amongst Canadians. Flaherty is taking us down a road of deficits we have not seen in many a year. "Not my fault" he says as he screws up his face and tries to look contrite. We had great days when the Liberals were in power....good economic times and nobody making nasty remarks about Gays and Ukranians.
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