Number 83, August 1996

Immigration: Cardozo versus Stoffman

Andrew Cardozo is a professional multicult lobbyist and currently president of the Pearson-Shoyama Institute. In a recent article, "Diversity Bashers Must Be Confronted" (Toronto Star, July 9, 1996), Cardozo as much as suggested that old stock Canadians are such a worthless lot that the country would be better off without them, rather than the hordes of new immigrants. "I'm just so sick and tired of the never-ending fly-by-night anti-immigration experts," he moaned. "I am coming to the sad conclusion that the only way to quell these hot-button outbursts is an in-your-face response-- to make the case that immigrants are not bad for Canada, but rather that immigrants may well make better Canadians than Canadian-born people do."

It almost makes you want to pick up your wretched self and head off to Pakistan, leaving this country to the newcomers who are obviously so much more productive and worthy. Cardozo then trotted out a series of half truths to bolster his mendacious claim that immigrants are already carefully screened.

In fact, only some are. The waves of self-appointed "refugees" often receive very little scrutiny at all.

He continued: "Studies are showing that immigrants take comparatively less from the social welfare system than others and they rely less on institutions for the care of seniors," institutions which Canadian children or the elderly, not the taxpayers, generally pay for, he failed to note. "The majority of small businesses in Canada are owned by ethnic minorities and immigrants and this sector is the engine of economic recovery. ... As Jacques Parizeau so eloquently pointed out, the "ethnic vote" saved Canada. It was the majority of francophone Quebecers who voted to walk out of Canada and it is Anglos in the West who would be happy to see them go."

One of those Cardozo specifically named among the "diversity bashers" was writer and researcher Daniel Stoffman. In an eloquent rebuttal,

Stoffman wrote:

"Andrew Cardozo earns his living as a propagandist for the multiculturalism and immigration industries. Propaganda is the art of presenting half-truths as the whole truth. Thus, the reader would never know from Cardozo's column ... that the points system is applied only to a minority of immigrants to Canada. Nor would the reader know the the current immigration programme is not based on labour market needs, as Cardozo claims, but rather is a response to organized groups that benefit from high immigration levels. Nor would Cardozo's readers ever know that studies by the Economic Council of Canada and the government's own Demographic Review proved there is no economic or demographic justification for the continuing policy of admitting huge numbers of unskilled people to an economy characterized by permanent high unemployment. Cardozo even leaves the impression that I and other critics think immigrants should not be able to bring their spouses and minor children with them. Yet, I have never advocated that. ... It's understandable that Cardozo must rely on distortion, given his unenviable task of defending the indefensible and unpopular policy." (Toronto Star, July 17, 1996)

Canada Pledges to Suppress Immigration Critics

Phone or write your MP (c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6) and ask him: Do you know about the Regional Conference on Migration? It was held in Puebla, Mexico in March and Canada participated. Did you know Canada pledged to counteract anti-immigrant attitudes? Do you approve of this international commitment made to foreigners? Does this not violate Canadians' Charter guaranteed rights of freedom of speech? Let us know the MPs' responses.

"The United States, Canada and eight Latin American nations pledged [March 14] to defend migrants' rights and protect them from violence, xenophobia and traffickers. In a joint-statement at the end of the historic two-day Regional Conference on Migration, participants condemned violations of migrants' human rights and promised to 'respect their dignity.' ... The Puebla conference concluded that by and large, migration is a beneficial phenomenon with potential advantages for both countries of origin and destination. ... The ten nations agreed to counteract anti-immigrant attitudes." (San Diego Union-Tribune, March 15, 1996)

"I'm Jamaican, man," Says World's Fastest Runner

"I'm Jamaican, man. I'm Jamaican first. You've got to understand that. That's where I was born. That's home." (Toronto Star, July 28, 1996) So said double-gold medal winner Olympian Donovan Bailey, after his victory in the 100-metres race at the Atlanta Olympics. Oh, yes, Bailey was on the Canadian team.

The wonders of mulitcult!

Earlier, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Bailey had relieved himself of some unflattering sniping at his Canadian alternate address, Jamaica, apparently, being his "home" Bailey was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying: "Canada is as blatantly racist as the United States. We know it exists. People who don't appear to be Canadian don't get the same treatment."

Bailey later said that was not exactly what he had said. The voluble "Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps says the statements were basically accurate, denial or not. What he said was that in this country there is racism, it does exist, and he used the Ben Johnson example as a case in point, which frankly was true, Copps told reporters." (Toronto Star, July 17, 1996) The great mystery in all this is why, if Canada is so rotten and racist, Donovan "I'm Jamaican, man" Bailey didn't return home to Jamaica and compete for them.

CRIME WATCH

Hong Kong Immigrant Smuggler Gets A One-Day Sentence

If you want respect, you first have to show that you respect yourself. Canada is an easy target for opportunists from around the world. The welfare is great; there's medicare, legal aid, and, of course, an establishment that fawns over newcomers, the more diverse, the better. Add to that the fact that such immigration rules as we have are weakly enforced. The penalties for breaking them are slight. No wonder a flood of people pour into Canada illegally as "refugees", knowing that if they mutter the right sob-story, helpfully provided by an immigration consultant, our daft authorities will likely let them stay. No need to follow the normal rules and apply for refugee status from abroad, Meanwhile, the criminals who smuggle them in earn a one day sentence.

"A Richmond provincial court judge came under fire ... for giving a one-day sentence to a man who helped smuggle four Chinese refugee claimants to Canada. Reform MP Randy White called the judge's decision 'bogus' and 'a joke. That's setting the wrong example in this country. What should really happen is those people, all five of them, should be put on the next plane back." Kwai Chun Yeung, 63, of Hong Kong, pleaded guilty in Richmond provincial court, April 30, to four counts under the Immigration Act for aiding and abetting. Constable Steve Glionna, of the RCMP's immigration and passport section, said the four refugee claimants boarded a plane in Hong Kong using forged People's Republic of China passports.

Once on the plane, the four men gave their passports to Yeung. When the plane arrived in Vancouver, the four men told immigration officials they had no travel documents and claimed refugee status. Glionna said many illegals prefer to arrive in Canada without travel documents to complicate any possible attempts by immigration authorities to send them back. Yeung, meanwhile, went through immigration with his wife. The couple said they worked in the import-export business and planned to stay in Vancouver three days, to look at some clothing. ... Immigration admitted Yeung, but when he was going through Canada Customs, he was asked to empty his pockets and pulled out four torn airline tickets in the names of the refugee claimants. Customs officials, now suspicious, searched his luggage and discovered the four forged passports concealed in his wife's undergarments. ...

"Do I lock him up with the idea of deterring him? " Judge Ron Fratkin asked before imposing sentence. Well, I think he is probably deterred. Do I lock him up to deter others? I can. Will it work? I do not think so. To protect the public? Well, I do not think the public is really that threatened at the end of it all because if they were, they could close the border in three seconds if they wanted.

In the end, Fratkin decided against imposing a fine and sentenced Yeung to a single day in jail. The maximum sentence, if the Crown proceeds by summary, is a $1,000 fine and six months in jail or both. ... Yeung served his time and went back to Hong Kong. "The illegals", however, remained in Canada and were released within 24 hours. ... Glionna ... is concerned about the impact of the judge's decision. "When someone is involved in an incident such as this and walks away with a one-day sentence and no fine, ... then we are not sending a strong enough message to smuggling organizations." Randy White (Fraser Valley West) [said]: "One day is a waste of time, of everybody's time. That judge is basically not taking on his responsibility. ... Four are in and one gets nothing and he gets his trip home." (Vancouver Sun, June 7, 1996)