CAQ Leader François Legault is calling for a values test for immigrants to Quebec.Ryan Remiorz
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Values test? Danger ahead
Re Quebec Party CAQ Reaffirms Policy To Expel Immigrants Who Fail To Integrate (May 16): The Coalition Avenir Québec is at it again. It’s obvious that there is an asylum-seeking problem at the Quebec border, however, that doesn’t mean that the jack boot needs to be applied to the throat. The CAQ is proposing a test for immigrants on values, language and employment; if they fail, they would be subject to “relocation or expulsion.” In juxtaposition to this, the CAQ has concluded that highly technically savvy and professionally skilled immigrants need not concern themselves with French language proficiency.
What if all citizens of Quebec were compelled to take a test that addressed respect for three items: diversity, democracy and secular government? How many would pass, how would this be graded, who would evaluate and what of those who failed? Testing is very dangerous territory.
Steve Sanderson, Quispamsis, N.B.
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The CAQ, the front runner to form Quebec’s next government, proposes to expel immigrants who fail a test of what it considers Quebec’s core values. This would likely need federal support; unfortunately (from the CAQ’s perspective), the federal government seems unlikely to back the plan.
But all is not lost. Fortuitously, the perfect model presents itself in another article: Report Details China’s Uyghur ‘Re-Education Camps’ (May 16). No need to lose these valued immigrants – camps can easily be set up – northern Quebec needs the boost. A year or two of re-education will do wonders. Immigrants will emerge happy Québécois, with all bad values erased, ready to contribute almost as if pure laine.
John Edmond, Ottawa
Summit sophistry
Re North Korea Threatens To Cancel Summit With U.S. (May 16): Ya gotta love it – Donald Trump, self-styled master negotiator, outfoxed by Little Rocket Man.
Jack Tennier, Toronto
Embassy aftermath
Re Israel, Gaza Face Aftermath Of Border Carnage (May 16): If a hostile territory on our border, governed by avowed terrorists openly committed to the destruction of Canada, openly advocated and incited protests in an attempt to breach the border, enter Canada, and harm Canadian civilians, how would you expect the Canadian government and military to respond?
The loss of civilian life is tragic – but the fact is that Hamas encourages the sacrifice of its civilians to fuel its PR campaign against Israel, yet we take issue with the democracy defending its borders.
Sam Perlmutter, Toronto
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Re Canadian Doctor Shot By Israeli Sniper Near Gaza Border (May 15): On Monday in Gaza at the al-Shifa hospital where my friend Canadian emergency physician Tarek Loubani works, they had 500 cases arrive at once. The head of the emergency department there reported to Al Jazeera that at least 18 people died while waiting to receive medical attention that evening. One of those 500 cases was Dr. Loubani, shot in the legs – apparently deliberately – while in the field assisting with the application of newly developed 3-D printed tourniquets. One of the paramedics who rescued him, Musa Abuhassanin, was later killed while attempting another victim-rescue under fire.
When will Canada act, perhaps removing its ambassador from Israel, as South Africa and Turkey have done?
Elizabeth (Beth) Guthrie, Toronto
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Israel and the United States need to be censured, including the implementation of sanctions by the international community, for the disregard for human life shown against Palestinians protesting the opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem. There is zero chance of peace if Israel, backed by the U.S., continues down the path of building on occupied territory and killing Palestinians. All we are going to achieve is more hated and more war.
The U.S. had a chance to negotiate a peace solution before moving the embassy but Donald Trump lost that card.
What Israel dishes out now is going to come back to haunt it in the future unless it can begin to look toward finding a peaceful solution to this mess. Yes, the Arabs and Palestinians need to step up and show leadership toward a peaceful solution, but Israel holds a lot of the peace cards.
David Bell, Toronto
China’s wingspan
Re Air Canada Cedes To Beijing Over Taipei Relisting (Report on Business, May 16): China threw the monkey’s wrench into international aviation by requiring airlines to designate Taiwan as part of China.
Even if every airline changed its website, this would not change the reality that Taiwan is not part of China. Air Canada still has to deal with two national aviation authorities and comply with laws by two legislatures. Canadian travellers still need a visa to enter China, yet enjoy reciprocal visa-waiver privileges with Taiwan.
Air Canada said its policy is to comply with legal requirements in all jurisdictions. Although this sounds reasonable, it would be impossible if Taiwan similarly required Air Canada to list Taipei under Taiwan. As a democracy, Taiwan is no more likely than Canada to micro-manage corporate or private website content.
By submitting to China’s demands, we allow China to extend Chinese censorship laws to Canada. Is this the Canada we want?
Scott Simon, Ottawa
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In its risible defense of corporate kowtowing to the demands of the Communist Party of China, Air Canada has claimed “Air Canada’s policy [is] to comply with all requirements in all worldwide jurisdictions to which we fly.” Three “jurisdictions” are involved here:
Canada, which for 40 years had had a consistent policy of neither challenging nor endorsing the China’s claims on Taiwan. So Air Canada is not complying with Canadian requirements;
Taiwan, which has been a separate and independent “jurisdiction” from China for 60 years, and with which Air Canada negotiated in initiating flights to Taiwan;
The Peoples Republic of China, which which has no authority over what happens in Taiwan.
China has demanded that Air Canada subscribe to a political fiction (a.k.a. Orwellian nonsense) not as a legal requirement, but as a political threat that has no legal basis in international law.
Michael Stainton, president, Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada
Font called ‘ironics’
Re It’s The 21st Century (letters, May 14): John Doyle is more than capable of speaking (and writing) for himself. However, I believe your correspondent’s concern about the use of the expression “to [make] an honest woman of Amy” in the context of The Big Bang Theory misses Mr. Doyle’s intent, which was to reflect the show’s and the character Sheldon’s attitude and lexicon, not his own. I believe it was Tom Stoppard who said there should be a font called ironics. Its use here would have been appropriate.
John Simpson, Oakville, Ont.