A former Conservative MP and cabinet minister says time has vindicated his vocal opposition to multiculturalism and mass immigration.Maxime Bernier made his comments in an interview with Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson on her eponymous online program. He said his opposition in 2018 to Justin Trudeau’s immigration policies was the beginning of the end of his time with the Conservative Party.“Justin Trudeau said, diversity is our strength. He said we need to have more diversity. That was a big slogan, and also a reality. He implemented that in legislation in Canada with mass immigration and multiculturalism,” Bernier recalled.“I said, ‘No, it's not our strength, we need to promote what unites us.’ And I did six tweets. And that was all over the media, the mainstream media. They were saying that I was a racist, I cannot speak like that.”Then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer distanced himself from Bernier’s comments, saying they did not represent the party.“I had a discussion with him after that. And he said, we won't take any of your ideas, and you won't have any role in the Conservative Party of Canada. So that's why I quit,” Bernier recalled.“I said, this party is intellectually and morally corrupt, because they don't have any convictions. They're only conservative in name. And they don't want to speak about something that is not that popular today, knowing that is the right thing to do.”Bernier founded the People’s Party of Canada shortly afterwards. By now he says international polls and even Globe and Mail columns are finally echoing his comments.“Massive migration is destroying our country. We need to have fewer people, we need to be able to integrate them to our society. That's what I said five years ago, and I was supposed to be a xenophobe and a racist. And now, it's more accepted to speak like that. It's because we started that debate,” Bernier said.“And that's the role of the People's Party. We are speaking about taboo subjects for the mainstream political parties, but they are not taboo for us. That's important to have a real discussion about the future of this country.”Bernier said Pierre Trudeau brought in multiculturalism and opened the immigration doors to broader groups of people to undermine Quebec independence. Later Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney expanded immigration numbers even more.Bernier said he doubted at the time such immigration was necessary to save Canada. He said his convictions were strengthened after he read then-University of Western Ontario political science professor and Muslim Salim Mansur’s 2011 book Delectible Lie; a liberal repudiation of multiculturalism.“Salim was one of our [PPC] candidates in the election in 2019…I said to Salim, ‘Yes, you're right, it's not only ending mass immigration, we need also to abolish that legislation, and to stop promoting every ethnicity in our country.”Some European countries are coming to the same realization, Bernier said.“In Europe, in UK, in France, in Germany, they realize that that multiculturalism has a big impact on their society…because there's no social cohesion anymore when you are promoting that ideology.”Bernier said he doesn't like to use hyphenated terms such as “Chinese Canadian” but spoke of them to illustrate his point.“For me, everybody is a Canadian. But a Canadian from Chinese origin who wants to celebrate the Chinese New Year must not have subsidies from the federal government. They can do it, they can raise their own money, but the federal government must not be there to promote that,” Bernier said.“We need to promote what unites us, our culture, our history, and multiculturalism. What we are telling our immigrants is, you can come here, you don't have to be part of our society. You don't have to integrate our society, you can live in your ghetto and with your community without participating fully in our society. So it's wrong and it's a big mistake.”
A former Conservative MP and cabinet minister says time has vindicated his vocal opposition to multiculturalism and mass immigration.Maxime Bernier made his comments in an interview with Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson on her eponymous online program. He said his opposition in 2018 to Justin Trudeau’s immigration policies was the beginning of the end of his time with the Conservative Party.“Justin Trudeau said, diversity is our strength. He said we need to have more diversity. That was a big slogan, and also a reality. He implemented that in legislation in Canada with mass immigration and multiculturalism,” Bernier recalled.“I said, ‘No, it's not our strength, we need to promote what unites us.’ And I did six tweets. And that was all over the media, the mainstream media. They were saying that I was a racist, I cannot speak like that.”Then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer distanced himself from Bernier’s comments, saying they did not represent the party.“I had a discussion with him after that. And he said, we won't take any of your ideas, and you won't have any role in the Conservative Party of Canada. So that's why I quit,” Bernier recalled.“I said, this party is intellectually and morally corrupt, because they don't have any convictions. They're only conservative in name. And they don't want to speak about something that is not that popular today, knowing that is the right thing to do.”Bernier founded the People’s Party of Canada shortly afterwards. By now he says international polls and even Globe and Mail columns are finally echoing his comments.“Massive migration is destroying our country. We need to have fewer people, we need to be able to integrate them to our society. That's what I said five years ago, and I was supposed to be a xenophobe and a racist. And now, it's more accepted to speak like that. It's because we started that debate,” Bernier said.“And that's the role of the People's Party. We are speaking about taboo subjects for the mainstream political parties, but they are not taboo for us. That's important to have a real discussion about the future of this country.”Bernier said Pierre Trudeau brought in multiculturalism and opened the immigration doors to broader groups of people to undermine Quebec independence. Later Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney expanded immigration numbers even more.Bernier said he doubted at the time such immigration was necessary to save Canada. He said his convictions were strengthened after he read then-University of Western Ontario political science professor and Muslim Salim Mansur’s 2011 book Delectible Lie; a liberal repudiation of multiculturalism.“Salim was one of our [PPC] candidates in the election in 2019…I said to Salim, ‘Yes, you're right, it's not only ending mass immigration, we need also to abolish that legislation, and to stop promoting every ethnicity in our country.”Some European countries are coming to the same realization, Bernier said.“In Europe, in UK, in France, in Germany, they realize that that multiculturalism has a big impact on their society…because there's no social cohesion anymore when you are promoting that ideology.”Bernier said he doesn't like to use hyphenated terms such as “Chinese Canadian” but spoke of them to illustrate his point.“For me, everybody is a Canadian. But a Canadian from Chinese origin who wants to celebrate the Chinese New Year must not have subsidies from the federal government. They can do it, they can raise their own money, but the federal government must not be there to promote that,” Bernier said.“We need to promote what unites us, our culture, our history, and multiculturalism. What we are telling our immigrants is, you can come here, you don't have to be part of our society. You don't have to integrate our society, you can live in your ghetto and with your community without participating fully in our society. So it's wrong and it's a big mistake.”
