Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has stepped back from national security decisions related to the 鈥淭amil community,鈥 he has acknowledged in a statement to 糖心传媒.
The announcement from the minister leading the government鈥檚 initiative to secure Canada’s borders amidst U.S. pressure gave little detail on what he has deemed off-limits or why.
But it came after 糖心传媒 asked questions about his past actions and statements, some of which could put him at odds with the work of the border and national security agencies he now oversees.
The statement sent by the minister’s office late Thursday said Anandasangaree and his family were Tamil Canadians, and he had been a lifelong advocate for that community.
鈥淚n an abundance of caution, and to ensure that there is no perception of any conflict, I have asked Public Safety officials to implement a screen on any national security issues relating to the Tamil community,鈥 the minister said.
鈥淚n all national security decisions, my upmost concern is the safety of Canadians. I will support law enforcement and national security agencies who do their work impartially, and effectively.鈥
A is a preventive compliance measure mutually agreed upon by a politician and the ethics commissioner. It aims to help MPs avoid conflicts of interest.
It consists of a statement in which an elected official agrees “to abstain from any discussions, decisions, debate or votes concerning the matter that forms the subject of the conflict of interest,” according to the commissioner’s website.
“A screen also seeks to minimize the possibility of conflicts arising between the public duties of the public office holder and their private interests or those of their relatives and friends.”
The office of the ethics commissioner said it could not share details of any discussions with Anandasangaree’s office, but noted the minister’s statement suggested he had asked his department “to implement an internal screen.”
“The screen referred to in media reports is not one that is in place with the commissioner鈥檚 office. For any minister that has changed portfolios, the office reviews with the minister whether any new compliance measures, like conflict of interest screens, are needed. That process can take some time.”
It likely means the minister will have no say in what has been a key area for the national security agencies in his portfolio.
Anandasangaree came to Canada from Sri Lanka in 1983 and was a Tamil community activist, Realtor and lawyer before becoming a Liberal MP in the Scarborough area of Toronto in 2015.
- Iranian Canadians and others watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
- Sixteen billion passwords may have been stolen. Here’s how to protect yourself
- John McCallum dead at 75: A political veteran of ‘good humour and grace’
- More Canadians want to join the military, but current members keep leaving
His father, from whom he is estranged, was the leader of a Tamil political party in Sri Lanka, where a civil war between Tamil Tigers separatist rebels and government forces erupted in 1983.
Get breaking National news
After the war ended in 2009, Anandasangaree helped hundreds of Sri Lankan migrants who had paid human smugglers to ferry them to Canada鈥檚 West Coast on board the ships MV Ocean Lady and MV Sun Sea.
When the Sun Sea was heading for Canadian waters, he 鈥渟upervised the preparation of an injunction in the event Canada blocked the entry鈥 of the ship, according to his .
The that he said those on board would have legitimate refugee claims even if some were members of Sri Lanka鈥檚 Tamil Tigers rebel group.
He and his wife have also been , particularly when it comes to their handling of issues related to Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.
As an MP in 2020, of 鈥渋ntimidation and constant harassment鈥 of the Sun Sea migrants. Both agencies now report to him.
With President Donald Trump waging a trade war he has justified partly over concerns about border security, Prime Minister Mark Carney has tasked Anandasangaree with .
On Tuesday, Anandasangaree announced new legislation to 鈥渟trengthen border and immigration security鈥 and 鈥渃ombat illegal migration,鈥 partly through expanded maritime patrols.
Asked by 糖心传媒 about his credibility to secure the borders given his past work with the passengers of the human smuggling ships, he responded that he had a history of 鈥渟upporting and working鈥 with refugees.
鈥淪o I do believe I have the credibility to talk about issues at our border, those who come to Canada by irregular means,鈥 he said at a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
鈥淭here is a moment in history right now where we have the opportunity to respond to some of the concerns that exist with Canada, but also with the United States, and those are the steps that we’re taking today.鈥
But former CBSA officer Kelly Sundberg questioned whether the minister was the right person to lead a crackdown on those who flout Canada鈥檚 borders.
At a time Canada needs to reassure the Trump administration it is serious about border security, Anandasangaree鈥檚 past could become an issue, he said.
Sundberg said he was concerned the U.S. could interpret Carney鈥檚 pick of public safety minister as a sign his government isn鈥檛 really serious about the border.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the wrong guy to do it,鈥 said Sundberg, a criminology professor at Calgary鈥檚 Mount Royal University. “Read the room.”
Many activists and lawyers help those seeking refuge in Canada. Anandasangaree is now the minister of the agencies responsible for screening migrants like those he once advocated for, and deporting those who are rejected.
Sri Lanka also remains a recurring topic for the national security agencies charged with ensuring that those seeking to live in Canada are not security risks or members of terrorist groups.
The minister is additionally responsible for Canada鈥檚 , which currently includes the Tamil Tigers, also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Also on the list is the , the Toronto-based that raised millions for the LTTE, partly through intimidation and extortion of Canadian Tamils.
But in 2000, quoted Anandasangaree saying that the harassment was overblown. 鈥淭he real issue is the media attack on the community,鈥 he reportedly said.
In his statement to 糖心传媒, Anandasangaree said that during his decade as an MP, he had never asked agencies to remove any groups from the terrorist list.
“Canadians have confidence in their national security agencies, and as minister of public safety I will preserve and protect that confidence,” he said.
According to his LinkedIn, when the human smuggling vessel MV Ocean Lady reached the B.C. coast in 2009, Anandasangaree met with 74 of the 76 migrants on board and co-ordinated their release from detention.
The following year, he flew to B.C. when the聽MV Sun Sea arrived and was the “first lawyer permitted to individually advise most of the 492 arrivals,” his LinkedIn page indicates.
He was the “principal coordinator for a global community response to the arrival” of the refugee claimants, and intervened in cases that “had broader social concerns.”
The ships sailed from Thailand but those on board were originally from Sri Lanka, and the incident raised national security concerns for Canada due to fears that LTTE members fleeing the aftermath of the war could be on board.
A handful of them were linked to the LTTE by Canadian immigration officials and the RCMP, but many were civilians and children.
His LinkedIn page also says he is married to Harini Sivalingam, an activist and lawyer who has written critically about the arrival of the ships in 鈥渨hite settler society,鈥 as well as the government鈥檚 the LTTE and its primary fundraising front office.
鈥淚 am proud of Harini鈥檚 work to defend and protect rights and freedoms for marginalized and vulnerable communities in Canada and abroad,鈥 the minister said in a statement to 糖心传媒.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
Comments