MP's message only too clear

Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar MP Kelly Block says her recent mail-out taking aim at refugees supposedly being offered health-care benefits that other Canadians don't receive "could have been clearer."

One begs to differ. The message behind Block's mail-out, headlined Ending Unfair Benefits for Refugee Claimants, could not have been clearer.

Nor could it have been more irrelevant to the vast majority of voters in her constituency, who would rate having to pay for refugees' prescription drugs somewhere at the bottom of their list of pressing federal concerns.

Then again, something like this can quickly be made relevant to those voters if one spices the issue up with a little provocation and downright misleading phrasing that suggests "new arrivals" to Canada are receiving "free dental and vision care and prescription medications that the rest of us aren't getting."

After all, why shouldn't we established Canadians, who've paid taxes all our lives and still must pay for our prescriptions, be outraged at "new arrivals" for getting something for nothing? Why shouldn't we be outraged by hard-done-by illegals from Third World homelands, who are coming here only because they are interested in getting our free health care?

Well, why we might want to holster our outrage is that the implied massive refugee scams in Block's pamphlet are basically untrue. At the very least, the accusations are incredibly misleading and petty.

Contrary to the MP's insincere claim that her political propaganda "wasn't meant to be divisive," that would be the sole purpose for distributing such biased information.

Leave aside Block's sheer disregard for the truth, or even that she's likely abused her parliamentary privileges by spewing such nonsensical propaganda at taxpayer's expense. What's far more alarming is the early-20th-century tone of her mail-out was aimed to appeal to the very worst elements buried deep in the nether regions of the Conservative party's base.

This pamphlet was not meant to inform. It was a thinly veiled message designed to deceive people and incite a sentiment that foreigners aren't to be trusted or accepted. Don't take my word for it. Judge for yourself:

Under the heading Ending Unfair Benefits for Refugee Claimants, we see in bold block lettering (pun intended) the underscored words: "Not anymore."

The handout then invites constituents to select one of these two responses: "I agree with Kelly Block.

Newcomers don't deserve more benefits than Canadians," or "I disagree. Refugee claimants should get dental, vision and pharmacare even if I don't."

Let's set aside for a moment that one never sees mailers from MPs of Block's ilk asking: "Do you agree that you should keep spending your tax dollars on my big, fat pension that's far better than anything you will ever get?" Instead, let us move right to the notion that these "new arrivals" need to cracked down upon.

Based on what? And whom are we cracking down upon?

Block doesn't even call them "illegal refugees" who would be eagerly removed from Canada. We are talking about people that Immigration Canada hasn't deemed to have done anything wrong.

She calls them "new arrivals" - a term that applies equally to those whom Premier Brad Wall is trying so hard to attract. What Saskatchewan actually needs most from the federal Conservative government on the immigration file is more "new arrivals"- an increase of 2,000 a year to Saskatchewan's nominee immigration limit, bringing it to 6,000 from its current 4,000.

A xenophobic pamphlet from a local MP won't exactly help Wall on his next recruiting mission.

What Block also doesn't mention is that the federal refugee health program was designed to bridge the period before refugee claimants can receive provincial care. She is gleefully touting the denial to destitute refugee claimants such things as asthma inhalers and insulin for diabetes, medication and X-rays for heart conditions, prenatal care for expectant mothers, and even chemotherapy for those with cancer.

So what does this accomplish besides adding to the woes of already overstressed emergency wards that are provincially funded?

Is this the unfairness that Block is proudly ending? If so, congratulations for being so clear.

In fact, no Saskatchewan MP has been this clear since Jim Pankiw.

Original Article
Source: the star phoenix
Author: Murray Mandryk