Liberal leadership contender says Canada “failed” on Gaza

Liberal Party leadership candidate Frank Baylis on Monday said he believes Canada failed Gazan refugees by refusing to let more into the country.

The former MP and federal contractor said taxpayers should make it up by rebuilding Palestinian homes, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

“We failed in our role,” Baylis told reporters.

“This is a double standard and it’s a form of discrimination that we have done against the Palestinian people.”

Canada waived regulations to allow Gazan refugees into the country with three-year residency permits and tax-free grants of $3,000 per child and $1,500 per minor. Permits were capped at 5,000. The Department of Immigration by comparison approved permits and grants for 298,128 Ukrainian war refugees in Canada.

Baylis, however, said aid to Palestinians was inadequate.

“When we saw it happening in Gaza, the same types of horrible images, the destruction, human suffering, this time Canada did nothing,” said Baylis.

He proposed subsidies to rebuild Gaza at an undisclosed cost.

“We can’t go backwards,” said Baylis.

“We can’t fix this wrong. But what we can do is move forward and retake our position as Canadians, as leaders of human rights in the world. We are going to invest in helping the Palestinian people rebuild their society.”

“We are going to help them rebuild their hospitals. We are going to help them rebuild their schools. We are going to help them rebuild their homes. In doing so, they will rebuild their civil society.”

“This is the first step towards peace. It comes from a very human rights aspect. We are going to see the Palestinian people. We are going to acknowledge that they are a people. We are going to acknowledge that they are a nation, the state of Palestine.”

The Department of Immigration in a May 27 briefing note on the Government Of Canada’s “role in Israel, Gaza And West Bank” said it was the only agency to waive regulations and grant residency to Gazans.

“Canada is the only country in the world with a dedicated pathway for extended family members of its citizens or permanent residents in Gaza,” it wrote.

Cabinet “recognizes the situation in Gaza and we are being as flexible as possible to help as many extended family member of Canadians affected by the conflict,” it said.

“Canada continues to put forward names of people who passed preliminary eligibility and admissibility reviews to local authorities for approval but does not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza.”

“At this time there are no crossings into Egypt.”