[LINK] "‘Old stock Canadians’ phrase chills profs, ignites Twitter"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star's Peter Edwards explains one of the highlights of last night's debate. Dear God.

University of Ottawa visiting professor Duff Conacher said he was shocked by what he considers racist implications of the phrase “old stock Canadians” used by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the latest leadership debate.

Harper used the phrase “old stock Canadians” in response to a question on refugee policy.

The Conservative leader said he would “bring in more” refugees than in past years, but there is a limit, adding that “we do not offer them a better health-care plan than the ordinary Canadian can receive.”

“I think that’s something that new and old stock Canadians can agree with,” Harper said.

[. . .]

On Friday, Harper appeared to elaborate on the phrase, repeating that there is no support for a better health care plan.

“It's supported by Canadians who are themselves immigrants, it's supported by the rest of us — by Canadians who have been the descendants of immigrants for one or more generations,” Harper said on a campaign stop in Calgary.