Search the Community

Kellie Leitch, and Argus, have promoted the idea that we should screen immigrants (and refugees) for Canadian Values. I know there are a variety of opinions on what Canadian Values are, but for the purposes of this thread, let’s agree to focus on these four: Religious freedom Equality of women Equal rights for LGBT people Separation of religion and government. How would an effective screening system be developed? What would it include? Many companies use some form of personality or ‘culture’ testing to find the right fit for a position. How effective are they, and could a “Canadian Values" screening test be developed from an already existing corporate test? For the screening test, should an intolerant ‘attitude’ or belief be separated from a willingness to act on that belief, or are they one and the same? Should the economic worth of the applicant be considered so that someone who is more likely to create wealth in Canada is considered more ‘attractive’? If an otherwise attractive applicant fails the screening test, but only by a little, should they be able to access some remedial course in Canadian Values and retake the test? Would the goal be to screen all immigrants (or refugees), or just those from certain parts of the world? Should immigrants and Canadians already living in Canada also be screened to develop a ‘baseline’ to which new arrivals can be compared? Should the screening include temporary workers and students, or even vacationers? What are some of the pitfalls of a 'values screening test'? How could it be designed so that it couldn't be hacked or beaten, thus allowing applicants with un-Canadian values entry? These are the questions I’ve been asking myself as I participate (argue?) in the “Immigration of Religious Fanatics” thread, and I thought it might be interesting to discuss in a more objective manner to see if it does make sense or could be effectively implemented.