NDP candidate Jean-Franois Delisle wants to reopen Constitution to deal with Senate and niqab

An NDP candidate in Quebec with a personal beef against the wearing of niqabs during citizenship ceremonieswants the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms amended.

Jean-Franois Delisle said if elected, his party will negotiatewith the provinces to reopen the Constitution in order to abolishthe Senate.

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He suggests the party could kill two birds with one stone byusing the opportunity to deal with the niqab issue.

"Thomas Mulcair is ready to open the Constitution for theSenate, so why wouldn't he be ready to open it up on this issue?"Delisle asked during an interview with The Canadian Press at a cafein Lac-Megantic, Que.,on Friday.

Delisle doesn't hide his disagreement with the wearing of a niqabwhile swearing the oath of citizenship.

"To have one's face covered for a swearing-in ceremony, I'm notin agreement with that," said Delisle, who is seeking to winMganticL'rable, the riding held by outgoing Conservative cabinetminister Christian Paradis.

"I'm comfortable saying that and I think my party is alsocomfortable saying that."

However, most NDP candidates in Quebec have been walking oneggshells compared to their Conservative and Bloc Quebecoiscounterparts, who have been categorically opposed to faces beingcovered during such ceremonies.

The Liberals have invoked the Charter of Rights and Freedoms insaying the wearing of niqabs at these events constitutes anindividual right that the majority cannot deprive of minoritygroups.

Asked about the niqab issue in Saskatchewanon Friday, NDP LeaderTom Mulcair said the party would let the legal challenge drop if itforms the government and would respect the courts.

Delisle said freedom of religion as preached by the legislatorsof the day in the 1980s may have a different context today.

"Currently, there is a Charter of Rights and Freedoms,"hesaid. "The charter then gives rights to people, and as a politicianand as a legislator, if we want to change that, we have to changethe Constitution."

He says radical movements have become more commonplace and itwould be a shame if these types of groups were granted greaterfreedom than the majority.

Delisle accused the Conservatives of drumming up the niqab issuerather than discussing pertinent issues.

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On Friday, the Bloc Quebecois released a video on YouTubesuggesting a vote for the New Democrats is a vote in favour ofpipelines and niqabs.

To that, Mulcair's spokesman Karl Blangertweeted: "TheNational Front has entered the campaign," referring to France'sfar-right political party.

Earlier this week, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that afederal ministerial directive forbidding Muslim women from wearing aniqab during ceremonies was invalid.

One day later, federal Immigration Minister Chris Alexanderannounced in a statement the government would seek leave to appealthe ruling before the Supreme Court of Canada.

On Friday, the Conservatives asked the courts to suspend thejudgment while awaiting word from the high court.

The legal battle has been fought by an Ontario woman named ZuneraIshaq, 29, who wants to be allowed to wear a niqab while swearingthe oath of citizenship.