CONSERVATIVE leadership candidate Derek Sloan, an Ontario MP, this week launched a brazenly racist attack on Canada’s chief public officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, tweeting:

“Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, has failed Canadians. Dr. Tam must go! Canada must remain sovereign over decisions. The UN, the WHO, and Chinese Communist propaganda must never again have a say over Canada’s public health!”

And in a tweeted video, Sloan shamelessly asked: “Does [Tam] work for Canada or for China?”

Tam, who was born in British Hong Kong and grew up in the U.K., snubbed the racist MP, saying: “I don’t let noise sort of detract me from [working with all my colleagues to get this epidemic wave under control.]”

We guess for the Conservative Party anyone who is not white can never be a Canadian – they remain an “immigrant” – never mind that all white guys are immigrants also!

Sloan’s leadership slogan is: “Conservative – Without Apology.”

CBC reported that his remarks drew condemnation on social media and his remarks were categorized as “repugnant,” “vile” and “xenophobic.”
That seems to really define the Conservative Party. Remember how a desperate former Conservative Prime Minister – Stephen Harper – used racist tactics by unnecessarily whipping up emotions against the Muslim face veil called niqab when he feared he was going to lose the election to Justin Trudeau and his Liberals? Well, he lost anyway! And he also lost a lot of goodwill from all decent Canadians.

Then we had another Conservative leader – Andrew Scheer – who tried to encourage Chinese voters in Burnaby and elsewhere in the Lower Mainland to whip up racism against Muslim immigrants because of the unfortunate, tragic murder of a Chinese teenager, hoping to turn them against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals for bringing in Syrian refugees.

(Ironically, the Chinese have now been facing racism because of COVID-19! This is a good lesson for all ethnicities to be rational and not encourage such racist behaviour against any group.)

In any case, Scheer also lost – like Harper had – to Trudeau and his party demanded that he step down even as he desperately tried to find excuses to cling on to power.

Scheer has now once again shown his party’s true colours by refusing to condemn Sloan’s disgusting racist attack on Tam.

Scheer’s lame excuse for his spineless stand? “I won’t be commenting on individual statements or positions that leadership candidates take. That’s up for them to explain, and ultimately the members of our party will decide when they vote in a leadership race,” he pathetically explained.

In all fairness, some Conservative MPs have spoken against Sloan’s racism. But who can take them seriously?

Trudeau, reacting to anti-East Asian racist incidents as well as Sloan’s statement, said: “Intolerance and racism have no place in our country,” pointing out: “Canada has succeeded because of our diversity. It is one of our greatest strengths, and the millions of Canadians of all different backgrounds who are working together … to help their fellow Canadians deserve better than this from all of us.”

He added: “We need to continue in our resolve to be an open, welcoming, respectful country and I think all Canadians expect that of every politician.”

And federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted: “From the beginning of this crisis, we’ve heard horrible stories of abuse faced by Asian Canadians, particularly those of Chinese descent.” He added: “There is no question that MP Sloan’s comments against Dr. Theresa Tam fuel this kind of racism.”

He said: “Andrew Scheer needs to clearly denounce this.”

Columnist John Ivison wrote in the Vancouver Sun’s National Post section: “But Sloan didn’t just question Tam’s competence, he queried her loyalty. He did it for leadership votes from conspiracy theorists and survivalists, who fear gun bans, internment and a UN invasion.”

He added: “His leader [Scheer] should have insisted on an apology or a resignation from caucus.”

Sloan’s leadership campaign website, the CBC noted, states: “The damage to free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience happening in Canada can not be understated. It’s time for everyone concerned about these issues to stand up and support a candidate who will not just pay lip service but get in the line of fire to defend these freedoms.”

What freedoms?

The freedoms of white racists to attack non-white Canadians whenever they choose to do so?