Public safety minister asks officials to ‘screen' him from conflict of interest
The announcement from the minister leading the government's 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 Global News 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.
'In 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,' the minister said.
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'In 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,' he said.
A conflict of interest screen 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.'
But 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 Scarborough, Ont. in 2015.
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.
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After the war ended in 2009, Anandasangaree helped hundreds of Sri Lankan migrants who had paid human smugglers to ferry them to Canada's West Coast on board the ships MV Ocean Lady and MV Sun Sea.
When the Sun Sea was heading for Canadian waters, he 'supervised the preparation of an injunction in the event Canada blocked the entry' of the ship, according to his LinkedIn page.
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The Associated Press reported that he said those on board would have legitimate refugee claims even if some were members of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers rebel group.
He and his wife have also been critical of Canada's national security agencies, particularly when it comes to their handling of issues related to Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.
As an MP in 2020, Anandasangaree accused the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP of 'intimidation and constant harassment' of the Sun Sea migrants. Both agencies now report to him.
2:03
Carney, Trump in direct trade and security talks
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 hardening Canada's frontiers.
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On June 3, Anandasangaree announced new legislation to 'strengthen border and immigration security' and 'combat illegal migration,' partly through expanded maritime patrols.
Asked by Global News 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 'supporting and working' with refugees.
'So I do believe I have the credibility to talk about issues at our border, those who come to Canada by irregular means,' he said at a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
'There 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.'
But former CBSA officer Kelly Sundberg questioned whether the minister was the right person to lead a crackdown on those who flout Canada's borders.
At a time Canada needs to reassure the Trump administration it is serious about border security, Anandasangaree's past could become an issue, he said.
Sundberg said he was concerned the U.S. could interpret Carney's pick of public safety minister as a sign his government isn't really serious about the border.
'It's just the wrong guy to do it,' said Sundberg, a criminology professor at Calgary's Mount Royal University. 'Read the room.'
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Many activists and lawyers help those seeking refuge in Canada. Anandasangaree is now 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's list of terrorist entities, which currently includes the Tamil Tigers, also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE.
Also on the list is the World Tamil Movement, the Toronto-based front organization that raised millions for the LTTE, partly through intimidation and extortion of Canadian Tamils.
But in 2000, Toronto Now quoted Anandasangaree saying that the harassment was overblown. 'The real issue is the media attack on the community,' he reportedly said.
In his statement to Global News, 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.
0:35
New border bill has elements 'that will strengthen' Canada-U.S. relationship: Anandasangaree
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 coordinated their release from detention.
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The following year, he flew to B.C. when the 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 'white settler society,' as well as the government's decision to outlaw the LTTE and its primary fundraising front office.
'I am proud of Harini's work to defend and protect rights and freedoms for marginalized and vulnerable communities in Canada and abroad,' the minister said in a statement to Global News.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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