“Old stock Canadians” Who are they?

“Old stock Canadians” was the way Conservative candidate, Stephen Harper, described some Canadians in an exchange in last night’s debate on the Canadian economy.

The second debate in the lengthy federal political campaign that ends on election day, October 19th, 2015, was an interesting exercise, in that it was not broadcast on network televison, and was hosted by the Globe & Mail, one of Canada’s national newspapers.

In a somewhat heated exchange, Stephen Harper was defending his government’s record on health care availability to refugees.  He used the phrase, “new and existing and old stock Canadians” in describing what he views as most people’s support of the Conservative policy.

The words launched a sea of tweets: tens of thousands of Canadians responded last night, and the phrase became a source of humour and a great deal of social banter. When a CBC reporter, out on the street today asked people for their opinion, a viewer of Asian heritage responded with the question many are asking, “is that the aboriginal population?”

“it’s not the way we talk in Canada”

Was it intentional?  A slip of the tongue?  Stephen Harper attempted to define it on the campaign trail today, but It has set off an identity issue that is an unspoken reality of life in Canada.  A reality that run may just below the surface of Canadian society.

Barbara Arneil, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, said in an interview on CBC today, that “it’s not the way we talk in Canada.”

Harpers two main opponents wasted little time today responding to reporters questions. Liberal candidate, Justin Trudea said, “It’s not just offensive, it’s harmful to the country we are building.”  Thomas Mulcair, the New Democratic Party candidate, described the phrase as “divisive language” saying,  “I don’t like dividing Canadians like that.”

What are you, or old or new stock Canadian? And what’s the difference between existing Canadians and old stock Canadians?