BURNABY—The third Burnaby South byelection debate devolved Tuesday night when the topic of refugees came up, prompting taunts of “racist” and “fascist” from an unruly crowd.

The debate, hosted by the Ismaili Centre Burnaby, was intended to engage candidates on housing affordability and community safety. Many constituents told the Star that immigration remains a hot-button issue after a refugee was charged with the 2017 murder of a child in the riding.

Five candidates attended the debate: federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, People’s Party of Canada candidate Laura-Lynn Thompson, the Liberals’ Richard T. Lee, Conservative Jay Shin and independent Terry Grimwood. The moderator, CBC’s Jason D’Souza, asked the candidates how satisfied they were with Canada’s current refugee policies and what changes should be made.

“We fundamentally need immigration,” said Singh, who asked the crowd to look around the room, reminding them that almost everyone is either an immigrant or comes from a family of immigrants.

“We need to make sure we’ve got the right resources. That we have a system that ensures safety and security and a balance of humanitarian respect for the dignity of people that want to move to Canada.”

The PPC’s Thompson followed Singh’s answer by saying that 49 per cent of Canadians actually want reduced immigration.

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It is unclear where that statistic came from. A recent Research Co. poll found that while one-in-five Canadians would increase the number of legal immigrants to Canada, 35 per cent would keep the same levels and 36 per cent call for a decrease.

“I think we represent the mainstream view. It is the Liberals and NDP who are extreme in this regard,” said Thompson. “It really offends me to the core of my being when Mr. Jagmeet Singh says that you’re a racist when you simply want a safe Canada.”

Thompson pointed to the killing of 13-year old Marissa Shen in a popular park in the region, which shook the community. Police subsequently announced that 28-year-old Ibrahim Ali had been charged with first-degree murder. Ali is a Syrian national who lived in Burnaby, was employed and had a family in Canada. The allegations are still being tested in court.

“This demands that we be careful in vetting the refugees that come to our land,” Thompson finished.

Immediately, the crowd burst into a visceral mix of outrage and cheers.

“Shame,” yelled some audience members, with one person shouting “racist.” Others stood and cheered “Laura” and “Canadians first” — a phrase Thompson used repeatedly throughout the evening.

After several chaotic minutes, D’Souza calmed the heated audience by reminding them emotions should be dealt with on stage. He then asked the candidates how emotion should factor into federal policy decisions.

In front of an increasingly clamorous crowd, Singh said it is important to “call out” coded language. There are horrible crimes being committed in the country, he said, but we don’t look to the identity of those perpetrators.

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“We don’t look at the colour of their skin … To use a horrible incident to incite violence or hatred against an entire community is wrong. That is not something we should do as a society,” he told the crowd.

“When people purposely use a horrible incident to incite violence, you’re effectively saying that refugees are murderers. That’s what’s being said. That is wrong.”

The crowd blew up once more. Some audience members booed and shouted “stupid,” while others responded with cries of “shame.” Thompson replied by arguing that she would also decry a white person coming to Canada without being properly vetted.

“This has nothing to do with the colour of skin. It has everything to do with safety and putting Canadians first,” she said, adding Singh is the one using the “race card” — not her.

Many members of the crowd rose to their feet while shouting and pointing fingers. One person yelled, “They are fleeing for their lives.”

Earlier in the evening, Singh repeated that it’s “sad” to him that some people want to blame new Canadians for the problems of society. It’s not the first time he’s addressed the subject: At the second all-candidates debate, Singh said he was “disgusted” by the rhetoric on refugees.

The stakes are high for the federal NDP leader, who is vying for his first seat in the House of Commons. And Thompson is one of the first candidates appointed to the newly minted PPC; her support could be early an indicator of the PPC’s chances in the upcoming general election.

The Liberals’ Lee teared up when the question circled back him, saying he has spoken with Shen’s family and they do not want to “politicize the case.” He said earlier that he believes in diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism, receiving no boos in return.

Conservative Shin said the criminal case is still ongoing, and people should not be quick to judge in the “court of public opinion.”

D’Souza asked the candidates why they decided to run in Burnaby. The crowd once again erupted when Singh uttered the words: “My wife and I live in Burnaby South.”

“Liar! You don’t live here,” shouted one audience member. “Be honest,” yelled another.

Originally from Ontario, Singh and his wife have been renting a place in Burnaby South since last fall. While the other candidates have different roots in Burnaby, Singh is the only candidate from any of the three major parties who was eligible to vote in the riding, according to Elections Canada rules. Independent candidate Valentine Wu is also eligible, according to Burnaby Now.

Voters in Burnaby South as well as Outremont, Que., and York-Simcoe, Ont., will head to the polls Feb. 25.

With files from Wanyee Li

Correction, Feb. 20 — This story has been updated from a previous version that stated Jagmeet Singh was the only candidate who was eligible to vote in Burnaby South. In fact, Valentine Wu is also eligible.

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