The Liberals and Paul Dewar NDP MP both say the government should show "more compassion" where the Tamil migrants are concerned.
Earlier in the day, the federal Liberals called on the government to show more compassion and to “lower the tone” on the possibility that some of the Tamil refugee claimants might be criminals or terrorists with links to the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
NDP MP Paul Dewar said the government should focus on helping Sri Lanka to rebuild after a long civil war, instead of trying to block Tamils from entering Canada.
PM Harper has vowed to take a tough stand against illegals.
This time, Ottawa is taking a tougher stand on illegal arrivals, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper Prime vowing to stop the flow of ship-borne migrants to Canadian shores, saying he will “not hesitate to strengthen the laws if we have to.”
“Canadians are pretty concerned when a whole boat of people comes – not through any normal application process, not through any normal arrival channel – and just simply lands,” Mr. Harper said at a news conference in Mississauga, Ont., on Tuesday.
David Warren aptly expresses that "compassion" as public policy is nearly always a fraud.
As a public policy, "compassion" is nearly always a fraud; and I have inserted the word "nearly" only in case I think of an exception after filing this column. I can't think of one now.
He then goes on to state what "compassion" for the Tamils mean for the Liberals.
We are lucky, for the moment, to have a party in power that owes nothing to the Tamil Tigers. For the Liberals, the sham of "compassion" extended to fundraising events with their goons, and the settled party understanding that any large, fairly desperate, and culturally exotic pool of welfare-propending immigrants will make reliable Liberal voting fodder. Hence side-splitting expostulations of compassion.
Brian Lilley says how that "compassion" can be deadly.
Canadians outraged over the queuejumping boat filled with would-be refugees are being told to be a bit more compassionate, to open their hearts.Unfortunately, the type of compassion being advocated could get someone killed.
L.Ian Macdonald clearly states that these Tamil migrants are taking advantage of our "compassion" jumping the que and suggests we invoke the Notwithstanding Clause.
It is quite another for human traffickers to make a mockery of Canada's territorial and political sovereignty. Nor can there be any doubt that this is a test case or a probe of Canada's capacity to fend off rogue ships before they reach our shores. And Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has warned that two more ships might already be in the water bound for Canada. Apparently, the first and only line of defence is to stop these ships before they ever leave their home ports. We would have to rely on the Sri Lankans for that. Criminal sanctions could also be considered against Tamils living in Canada who can be proved to have sent money home to bring relatives here illegally. And then there is the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution - it's there for a reason, use it or lose it.
Yes let's have compassion but only for those who are truly refugees. We cannot solve the world's problems, we have enough problems of our own. What about compassion for our own. Let's have compassion for our security and sovereignty. What about our own that are living on the street, the elderly, and our veterans? Above all,please, let's not allow our selves to taken advantage of.
