Battleground Toronto: leaked memo shows that Conservatives really, really, really want “very ethnic” Toronto votes
The latest scandal in Ottawa is that immigration minister Jason Kenney, who’s been charged with building the Conservative brand in Canada’s immigrant communities, seems to have allowed a Conservative fundraising memo [PDF] to go out on government letterhead—a big no-no. There have been a number of reactions, from the NDP demanding Kenney’s resignation to the Liberals trying to look above the fray. We can’t help but have a reaction of our own: the Conservatives like us! They really, really like us!
Of the 10 target ridings profiled in the Conservative memo, two are in Toronto proper and five are in the G.T.A. The memo gives some idea of how the Conservatives see the ridings in and around Toronto:
- “If G.T.A. South Asians were to form a city, it would be the third-largest city in the country.”
- “There are lots of ethnic voters; There will be quite a few more soon; They live where we need to win.”
- “Data proves hunch: we are losing. We are losing less badly now.”
The memo then goes on to detail some of the ads they will produce to continue wooing South Asians (will those ads will ever see the light of day now?). With this as evidence, we’re starting to believe that it’s not all idle chatter—that the Conservatives really will be pushing hard for ridings in Toronto and the G.T.A. in the as-yet-hypothetical election this year.
Prepare to be wooed, ethnic Toronto! If there’s a spicy restaurant opening or a cultural festival celebrating something the MP for Kenora couldn’t identify three months ago, get ready for a photo-op and a novelty cheque. After all, there’s an election* to win.
* Election promises not valid after polls close.
• Jason Kenney’s plan for breaking through in ethnic communities [Macleans.ca]
. With this as evidence, we’re starting to believe that it’s not all idle chatter—that the Conservatives really will be pushing hard for ridings in Toronto and the G.T.A. in the as-yet-hypothetical election this year.
Prepare to be wooed, ethnic Toronto! If there’s a spicy restaurant opening or a cultural festival celebrating something the MP for Kenora couldn’t identify three months ago, get ready for a photo-op and a novelty cheque. After all, there’s an election* to win.
* Election promises not valid after polls close.
• Jason Kenney’s plan for breaking through in ethnic communities [Macleans.ca]){kind=link}
Immigrant shouldn’t vote for Conservatives. They will destroy you. Here is a good reason:
While other parties were in the government, my mother visited me 6 times without a problem so did my nephew when he was 18 yrs old and wanted to come to Canada to ski (he stay a month and went back to his country where he has his mom, dad and brothers).
This year I invited his brother who is 12 years old (as a birthday present) and Immigration Canada rejected the visa request with just an unintelligent excuse, saying that the 12 yrs old was planning to stay in Canada!!! and also that they couldn’t prove the family ties… that’s a joke!!! When I came to live in Canada, immigration got all my family information, full name of the member of my family, including my sibling names. One of those siblings is my sister who is the mother of the nephew I invited. Also they said they couldn’t prove the financial situation of his parents… We never said that they were going to pay for the trip or stay and I specified in my invitation letter that all the expenses were going to be covered by me (I attached a job letter) and they never call nor they asked for anything else to prove my financial situation which is good.
They have the current address where my nephew is living with his mom, dad and brother and the servants in the MOST EXCLUSIVE gated community in Samborondon, Guayaquil, Ecuador (just few meters from Noboa’s residence in Samborondon) and assisting to Torremar which is a private school, one of the best. As this was a present for my nephew they didn’t need financial proof of the parents, as I was fully responsible for the expenses and with more than $47,000 in the bank should suffice for 2 weeks stay… or not???
They didn’t have good fundaments to reject the visa, they didn’t want him to come to visit (who wants to come in winter!!!); the Conservatives are against family ties and DON”T like immigrant to have the right to receive visitors. A criminal in Canada has more rights than a good citizen as criminal have the right to receive visitor while in jail.
While it’s normal for parties to target so-called ‘voting blocs’ (and we can debate whether there really is such a thing as the ‘ethnic vote’), it’s another thing to be so opportunistic about it. As a ‘person of colour, it’s obvious that the Conservatives only pretend to care about the rest of us in order to get to their coveted majority. Jason Kenney can eat as many chicken balls as he wants; it’s ultimately a question of sincerity.
it is important to have an idea what the immigrant man want to do in this country, to jeopardize the countries security, take over create a new country or separatist movement? all muslims are not terrorist, but all terrorists are mulsims
Christy Clark in BC did this and she will lose the next election in part because of it. Somehow the Harper conservatives manage to get away with all kinds of breaches of ethics, rules and laws.
The Oklahoma bomber wasn’t Muslim. The KKK aren’t Muslims. The Aryan Brotherhood aren’t Muslims.
the IRA and the UVF are not muslim.