Leadership hopefuls pull out stops soliciting support as deadline looms
OTTAWA — Conservative leadership hopefuls made some last-ditch pitches for support Monday in advance of a key campaign deadline — and stanching the flow of illegal migrants across the Canada-U.S. border played a prominent role.
Candidates only have until Tuesday to sign up new party members in order to buttress support for their leadership bids, so several — Kevin O’Leary, Maxime Bernier and Steven Blaney were doing their best to grab some Tory-friendly headlines.
In an early email blast, businessman and reality-TV star Kevin O’Leary suggested using the Constitution’s veto power, known as the notwithstanding clause, to block refugee claims from people who enter Canada illegally.
It’s a response to a recent spike in illegal border-crossings from the U.S. into Canada, in many cases by people apprehensive about a Trump administration that’s limiting immigration and stepping up deportations.