Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson delivers a statement at Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa on March 19, 2015.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The Conservatives promised Wednesday they would impose automatic travel bans against people who've been sanctioned by the Canadian government and include gross human rights violations on the list of reasons for implementing sanctions.
Niagara Falls-area candidate and Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson announced the proposal Wednesday in Toronto as party leader Stephen Harper kept a low profile, preparing for the French-language leaders' debate Thursday.
Nicholson said making people who pose a "grave breach to international peace and security" — or those who have been listed by international organizations — persona non grata is an important step in strengthening the system.
There would also be a consolidated list that will aid businesses in knowing who has been targeted with sanctions, Nicholson said.
Earlier Wednesday, Harper committed to re-establishing a military college in Quebec as a full degree-granting institution.
Harper was in Montreal but made the announcement through a statement that said if his government is re-elected, it will restore College Militaire Royal de St. Jean as a full-fledged university able to grant degrees. The Tories estimate the move would cost about $4 million each year.
The Conservatives say the school would help recruit Quebec-based cadets and improve bilingualism in the Armed Forces.
The college first opened in 1952 and was shuttered in 1995. It reopened in 2008.