Quebec MP Maxime Bernier says those who hold racist views toward immigration do not have a place in his new party.

Bernier held a news conference Friday to unveil the name and logo of his new political venture B次元官网网址� the PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party of Canada. But one of his first orders of business was to defend his new party in the wake of support from a fringe political group.

B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 have a place in our party. I donB次元官网网址檛 share these values,B次元官网网址� said Bernier.

He also said he would screen potential candidates interested in running for his party and that xenophobic individuals will not be allowed to run.

Bernier himself was heavily criticized in August for a series of tweets which argued B次元官网网址漷oo much diversityB次元官网网址� erodes CanadaB次元官网网址檚 identity and destroys what makes it great and that immigration shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be open to those who donB次元官网网址檛 share Canadian values of freedom and equality.

Earlier this week Bernier tweeted in response to a story about the surge in asylum seekers at the U.S.-Canada border, B次元官网网址淚f you can buy a plane ticket from Nigeria to NY, youB次元官网网址檙e not a real refugee. How long will this costly farce continue to destabilize our refugee system? The solution is to close the loophole in the treaty and immediately return these false refugees to the U.S.B次元官网网址�

He said Friday heB次元官网网址檚 very open to immigration, but wants to look at the levels and wants people who come to Canada to be able to have a job and B次元官网网址渟hare our Canadian values.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪o letB次元官网网址檚 have a real debate about that.B次元官网网址�

BernierB次元官网网址檚 championing of the immigration debate seems to be rallying the very people he says he does not want in his party.

Earlier this week Bernier confirmed he took a phone call from Travis Patron, the leader of the Canadian Nationalist Party, who proposes banning burkas, deporting asylum seekers and lowering immigration levels to 20,000 B次元官网网址� 100,000 newcomers annually.

Bernier reportedly told Patron that those numbers were too low, but he would like to see immigration levels decrease to 250,000 per year. He said to B次元官网网址渟tay tunedB次元官网网址� for his partyB次元官网网址檚 concrete proposal.

Patron told The Canadian Press that he was attracted to BernierB次元官网网址檚 leadership because he is willing to debate multiculturalism but BernierB次元官网网址檚 official said there will be no more contact with Patron.

Immigration is also a politically hot issue in the Quebec election. At last nightB次元官网网址檚 debate, Coalition Avenir Quebec Leader Francois Legault defended his proposal to expel immigrants who fail a French test after three years in the province.

Bernier, who has spent much of the last year fighting with his former colleagues in the Conservative Party over supply management, made the bombshell announcement in August that heB次元官网网址檚 ditching the Conservative party to form his own. He called his former colleagues B次元官网网址渋ntellectually and morally corrupt.B次元官网网址�

He said Friday he has raised $140,000 thus far and that thousands of people have reached out to him to get involved, but he is not quite ready to register his party with Elections Canada. That step will happen over the next several weeks, he said, adding he will be ready with 338 candidates on the ballot in the October 2019 federal election.

Bernier confirmed there are only two employees on the partyB次元官网网址檚 payroll B次元官网网址� Martin Masse, one of his key organizers and Maxime Hupe, who worked previously for Bernier as a spokesman for his unsuccessful leadership bid.

He said his party will respect taxpayers, the Constitution, respect regions, provinces and territories equally, and respect CanadaB次元官网网址檚 traditions, B次元官网网址渨ithout trying to forcibly change it like the current Liberal government is doing.B次元官网网址�

And if people donB次元官网网址檛 like his ideas, he says, B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 OK, donB次元官网网址檛 vote for me.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he politicians, they try to please everybody and when you want to please everybody, you wonB次元官网网址檛 please everybody. ThatB次元官网网址檚 not my way of doing politics.B次元官网网址�

Conservatives are livid at BernierB次元官网网址檚 power play and argue that adding another party on the right side of the political spectrum will split the vote and allow the Liberals to easily win another majority government.

Bernier, who has not received any support from the Conservative caucus said he has not spoken to any of his former colleagues.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 call them. I didnB次元官网网址檛 ask them for their support,B次元官网网址� he added, B次元官网网址淎nd I donB次元官网网址檛 have time for that actually.B次元官网网址�

Bernier said he plans to make another announcement about his party in the coming weeks and will unveil supporters of his cause who are B次元官网网址渧ery great Canadians.B次元官网网址�

Janice Dickson, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .