The NDP’s public safety and immigration critic, Jenny Kwan, has also expressed serious concerns about the bill and, at its second reading debate last month, called for it to be withdrawn entirely.
The bill has yet to progress to its committee stage or to the Senate. But as this is a minority government, it will need the support of MPs from other parties to push it through.
Parliamentary papers that indicate future business in the House of Commons show that Mr. Anandasangaree is due to present another strong borders bill within days.
An analysis by the Library of Parliament, reported by The Globe and Mail in August, warned that the government’s proposed strong-borders legislation risked infringing on Canadians’ Charter rights if passed, including the right to be treated equally under the law.
The study by experts at the library, which carries out research for MPs and senators, also noted that Bill C-2 could lead to discriminatory profiling and targeting by law enforcement and that some of its provisions – including a proposal to allow Canada Post to open letters – would jeopardize the privacy of Canadians.
Click link to read the news story - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-strong-borders-bill-c-2/
NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who this week wrote to Metlege Diab seeking answers on the issue, said the fact that Gasparro announced the government ban before the court case against one of the band members had been settled raises more questions about what transpired.
“Canada needs to make sure that such decisions are accountable and that they’re not subject to arbitrary and political weaponization,” she told National Post.
“It’s really important that we actually get clarity on what went on. Is this a sanctioned announcement from the government? Is the band Kneecap actually banned? Were they ever banned?”
Click link to read the news story - https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/calls-grow-for-carney-government-to-explain-statement-banning-irish-hip-hop-trio
Click link to see more photos - https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/10/01/ndp-bloc-quebecois-join-rally-for-postal-union-workers/475742/
The federal immigration minister is facing increasing pressure to clarify whether the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap is indeed banned from entering Canada, or if the Liberal official who announced the move was approved to make that assertion in a contentious social media post.
In a letter to Immigration Minister Lena Diab on Thursday, NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party’s immigration critic, urged Diab to say whether the group is indeed banned after the minister and other officials have repeatedly refused to answer questions on the case for almost two weeks.
The band says it has yet to receive any official notice about an entry ban or denial of their electronic visa authorizations.
“Canadians and visitors to Canada deserve to know that they are not subject to arbitrary and politicized weaponization of public policy for political purposes,” Kwan wrote.
“We need to rebuild integrity into the system in this time of misinformation.”
Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, the parliamentary secretary for combating crime, announced on Sept. 19 “on behalf of the Government of Canada” that the band’s members had been deemed ineligible for entry ahead of scheduled concerts this month, based “on the advice of our officials.”
Kwan wants Diab to answer if the officials Gasparro referenced are in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and if she or other IRCC officials authorized Gasparro to speak on their behalf publicly.
The letter also asks if Kneecap were ever formally banned from entering Canada or if they are permitted to enter, and if the Prime Minister’s Office or any other government officials or agencies were involved in approving Gasparro’s announcement.
Click to read and watch the news story - https://globalnews.ca/news/11461642/kneecap-entry-ban-ndp-jenny-kwan-vince-gasparro/
Click to [ Read more ] to read Jenny's full letter
More than a week and a half after Liberal MP Vince Gasparro declared Irish rap group Kneecap were barred from entering Canada over allegations of supporting terrorism and political violence, the ongoing lack of clarity from the government about who approved the decision—or if one was even made—is leading civil liberties and immigration experts to say that it appears to be a “politically motivated PR stunt” and evidence of intra-caucus interference in cabinet mandates.
“This isn’t normal, and it just feels more like trying to push the government into making a decision,” Jamie Liew, an expert on citizenship and immigration law at the University of Ottawa, told The Hill Times. “This isn’t just an issue of privacy. It looks like interference in the [immigration minister’s] mandate.”
'At a time when people's constitutional rights are under threat and routinely stripped ... Canada must be vigilant in protecting our freedoms and not mimic or be influenced by' the U.S., says NDP MP Jenny Kwan.
Click link to read the news story - https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/10/01/without-clarity-kneecap-ban-appears-as-a-politically-motivated-pr-stunt-say-critics-civil-liberties-and-immigration-experts/475216/
NDP MP Jenny Kwan said earlier in the day that the federal government ought to invest in Canada Post to improve its service and help it compete. She suggested Canada Post’s large footprint could be leveraged for electric charging stations or community hubs in rural areas.
Click link to read the news story - https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/striking-canada-post-union-urges-ottawa-to-walk-back-sweeping-mandate-changes-11269748
NDP MP Jenny Kwan heaped blame on the Liberal government for the state of Canada Post, calling it “hypocritical” for taking a similar approach to the Stephen Harper’s Conservatives toward the service.
She told reporters Canada Post should be more innovative and expand its services to remote, rural and Indigenous communities by offering postal banking options, or even wellness checks on seniors or other vulnerable persons in hard-to-reach areas.
“Why don’t we build up Canada Post by utilizing the big footprint …and build up that infrastructure for Canadians across the country?”, she said.
“One of the reasons why Canada Post is not as competitive as it could be is because the government is limiting their level of service, which is why I say invest in Canada Post and expand their service delivery, and then you can actually be far more competitive in the service.
The other thing we have to remember as well, Canada Post is a service that is meant to be universal and yes, there are communities where you have to deliver the service, where it is not going to be a profit making venture. ”
But Kwan refused to say whether she supported Canada Post’s push to allow weekend deliveries or more flexible part time work arrangements, saying she didn’t want to weigh in on issues at the bargaining table.