Kenney defends proposed legislation giving him power to bar certain people from Canada

OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says he’ll seek limits on a new power that will allow him to bar certain people from entering Canada.

Kenney included the new authority in a piece of legislation expected to be studied by the Commons immigration committee this fall.

It allows him to bar people for what are described as public policy considerations, but that term isn’t defined in the legislation.

Kenney says he’ll put a set of criteria before the committee and ask MPs how best to apply the new power.

He says he doesn’t want to see current or future governments being able to take advantage of it.

Kenney says the provision is meant to keep out people who would otherwise be admissible to Canada but whose presence could incite hatred or violence.