The federal immigration minister is facing increasing pressure to clarify whether Irish hip-hop group Kneecap is actually banned from entering Canada, or whether liberal officials who announced the move have been approved to make that claim in controversial social media posts.
In a letter to Immigration Minister Lena Diab on Thursday, NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party's immigration critic, urged Diab whether the group was actually banned after the minister and other officials repeatedly refused to answer questions about the lawsuit repeatedly for almost two weeks.
The band says they have not yet received official notices regarding a ban or rejection of e-visa approval.
“Canadians and visitors to Canada deserve to know that they are not subject to arbitrary and political weaponization of public policy for political purposes,” Kwan wrote.
“At this point of misinformation, we need to rebuild our integrity into the system.”
Liberal MP Vince Gasparo, the Crime-Council Secretary, announced on September 19th that he was “on behalf of the Canadian government.”
Kwan hopes that if the referenced official belongs to Immigrants, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and she or other IRCC officials allow Gasparo to speak publicly on behalf of the public, he or she will answer the DIAB.
The letter also asks whether KneeCap has been formally banned from entering Canada, or whether the Prime Minister's office or other government officials or agencies are involved in approving Gasparro's announcement.
Kwan pushed Diab to some of these questions during Thursday's question period, but Diab refused to answer them directly.
“If no one approves it, can the Minister advise that formal action be taken to address this serious misrepresentation of authority? Canadians deserve to know,” Kwan said.
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Diab responded by reading a statement sent by the IRCC to Global News earlier this week (a real-time evolved message) that it did not comment on a specific case of Neecap.
“People who want to come to Canada must meet the eligibility and acceptance requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” Diab said.
“Each case is evaluated individually. Entry into Canada may be denied for several reasons. Individuals who have been denied an e-travel application can reapply by performing an ETA after addressing the reason for being denied.”
The Kneecap manager told Global News that the band has not heard anything from the Canadian government about member ETA being rejected beyond Gasparro's video and has not since received guidance on the current situation.
A Kwan spokesperson said he intends to submit a written order paper question on the issue.
Should the probe ask if the MP lied?
Kwan's letter has since been added to pressure on the Liberal government to explain why no further explanations or official notices have been provided to the band or the public.
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Conservative associate leader Melissa Landzman told Global News in an interview Wednesday that he would support an investigation into whether Gasparo “lied” when announcing the apparent ban on entry, or whether it contradicts official policies.
“In other workplaces, you're going to think you'll be rebeled for that, and in this case you're not the Secretary of Congress anymore,” she said.
A Kwan spokesperson said he would request an investigation either by the House Ethics or the Immigration Committee, but said he would need members to sit down to help with her call. The NDP has no permanent membership in the House Committee after losing its official party status in the last federal election.
A spokesman for Gasparo's office said in an email Wednesday that he had “no further comments” after making a similar comment last Friday, and that he had postponed the question to the IRCC.
Diab didn't stop answering questions from reporters regarding the Knee Cup incident as he headed for the liberal caucus conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Gary Anandasangaree's Minister of Public Security has also postponed the IRCC's questioning, and the prime minister's office has not responded to requests for comment.
In a video announcement on September 19, Gasparo cited British terrorist accusations against Knee Cap member Liamógó Hannaidh as reasons to refuse entry to Canada. A British judge abandoned the criminal case last Friday, but no one in the government said whether the obvious ban on entry is in force.
The charges dismissed after the British court said it was too late came after authorities alleged that the agency waving the flag of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a London concert last year.
Hezbollah is a terrorist organization listed in both the UK and Canada.
Kneecap accused critics of trying to silence the band as he supports Israeli military support for the Palestinian cause through the destruction of Gaza. The band says they will not support Hezbollah and Hamas or tolerate violence.
The Israeli and Jewish Issues Centre and Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada, who had advocated a ban, praised the government for Gasparo's announcement.
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