Multiculturalism and Immigration

What is the relationship?

In Canada, multiculturalism is not just a policy. It is enshrined in the Constitution. It has its own Statute. It has its own, albeit small, bureaucracy.

The Multicultural bureaucracy/ Minister reports annually on their efforts to try and make sure that federal institutions reflect the country’s diversity. It can’t be an easy job juggling all diversity balls: ethnic, sexual, racial, linguistic, official language, native peoples, provincial & regional cultures.  

My problem is not diversity. As a Torontonian, I love the mix. I love all sorts of folks dealing with each other in a respectful manner. Over the decades I’ve acted and lobbied on behalf of Muslims, Chinese, Sikhs, and Koreans etc. I couldn’t live without it.  

My problem, as an immigration lawyer, is that I am getting a little tired of Ottawa denying that it dictates what Toronto and the country should look like.

Experience has taught me that there is role for the state in making sure that no-one gets left behind.It’s perfectly OK for the state to make sure that all my neighbours are accommodated. It’s good for the state to plan for what the country may look like in twenty years.

But it’s quite another thing for the state to dictate what the county should look like.

It’s beyond the pale that our diversity is defined by hidden quotas, not community needs.

Naturally, Ottawa denies the existence of opaque policies mandating goals through immigration quotas. But let’s look at the reality of how Prime Ministers have defined Canadian diversity through immigration without seeking Parliamentary approval:

• Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau cut immigration from 250,000 to about 80,000. His motivation was to protect French Canada against waves of English speaking immigrants. He also removed “race” as a determining factor for immigration.     
• Prime Minister Mulroney agreed that immigration should be driven by a need to keep the English – French balance. Thus, former English and French colonies would henceforth generate the vast bulk of our new Canadian diversity. Mulroney also recognized Quebec’s control over its language driven immigration quotas. Mulroney also looked at the demographics and invented the 1% immigration model     
• Prime Minister Chretien went along with Mulroney’s dramatic polices. But rather than build on Mulroney, Chretien gave away the store to consultants and their friends in Ottawa. He had no public policy interest in immigrant recruitment, selection or retention. His legacy to diversity includes a failed immigrant retention rate of under 50 percent and over 1 million Canadian passports floating around the world.
• Prime Minister Martin started to clear up the mess with an eye to growing the population based on community needs.
• Prime Minister Harper fit the Chrétien mould. His only claim to diversity fame was inventing the concept of “shared values”.  Harper made no effort to define “shared values”. But his Ministers issued visas to English and  Irish on the basis of their “shared values”   
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has channeled Harper, with the exception that his “shared values” promote Francophonie. His March 17 , 2016 policy granting work permits without LMIA’s to French speaking applicants was diversity building on linguistic steroids   

Every year, Parliament gets an opportunity to debate the government’s immigration policy. The report details the numbers and specific programs.

But Parliament never, never, never hears that the defence of the French language defines all immigration quotas.

Every year, Parliament gets an opportunity to debate the government’s diversity/multicultural policy. The report details the numbers and programs.

But Parliament never, never, never discusses the role of the defence of the French linguistic visa ratios.

These ratios define every other aspect of immigrant selection which, in turn, go a long way in determining our diversity.

The bottom line is that, without a word from Parliament, we have rearranged a big piece of Canadian diversity.

If Canada is such a fragile institution that it cannot peep a word about a core foundation of its diversity, then maybe Lucien Bouchard was right … maybe Canada is not a country.

Richard Boraks, December 19 2016

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres sworn in as UN secretary-general

Guterres performed well among 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council.

VIDEO

Incoming UN chief Antonio Guterres takes his oath of office before taking over the role on January 1.(REUTERS)

By DAVE BRYANThe Associated Press

Mon., Dec. 12, 2016

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the ninth UN chief in the body’s 71-year history.

The former UN refugee chief was elected to the top job by acclamation in the General Assembly in October. He takes over from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1.

Guterres, 67, performed well in answering questions before assembly members and his executive experience as prime minister and as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005-2015 propelled him to first place among 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council. After the sixth poll, the council nominated him by acclamation and his name was sent to the assembly for final approval.

“We have every confidence he will lead our organization with wisdom and rectitude,” said G.A. President John William Ashe.

The swearing-in came after the 193 General Assembly members paid tribute to Ban, a tribute that ended with a standing ovation for the native South Korean.

The swearing-in ceremony included the UN’s top leaders and was attended by dignitaries including Myanmar politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

This year, the process for choosing a new secretary-general involved public discussions with each candidate.  (EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ / AFP/GETTY IMAGES)  

The selection of a new secretary-general had traditionally been decided behind closed doors by a few powerful countries. But this year, the process involved public discussions with each candidate who was campaigning for the job.

UN chiefs are charged with promoting sustainable development, working for peace around the globe, protecting human rights and dealing with humanitarian catastrophes.

Ban served two five-year terms.

The source:https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/12/12/former-portuguese-prime-minister-antonio-guterres-sworn-in-as-un-secretary-general.html

Comment

Antonio Guterres

I’ve never met Antonio Guterres. But I’d like to.

I’ve heard two stories about Mr. Guterres.

First, people from his small Portuguese village tell me about his compassion. He’d play soccer with the local orphans. He never forgot where he was from. He was never pretentious. A true gentleman.

Second, there was the time that Jason Kenney went up to Mr. Guterres and asked why Portugal sent its worst element to Canada. In response, Mr. Guterres quietly asked Kenney:

1. Were the workers building Canada?

2. Were they well trained?

3. Did Canada pay for the training?

4. Were they honest and respectful?  

5. Did Canada treat them with respect by allowing them residency?   

It is fair to suggest that Mr. Guterres recognized Kenney for what he is.       

Fortunately for all of us, the world has recognized Mr. Guterres for the decent man he is.

Richard Boraks, December 13 2016

Some predictions: Canada Immigration and our Syrian Refugees

1. In 2017, Trump/Putin will make the peace in Syria. Peace will be followed by a Syrian economic boom.

2. By 2018, many, if not most, of the fathers from our recent 25,000 refugees will be doing business in Syria. They will leave their wives and children behind in Canada for up to five years. By 2021, the kids will be citizens. They will be educated. They will be heavily subsidized. They will have Canadian passports. The fathers will not be paying any Canadian taxes. They will not be generating Canadian exports.

3. By 2021, few of the original 25,000 families will still be here. They may be replaced by their cousins who see no harm in duplicating the game. Not wishing to admit that government policy is, yet again, based on wrong assumptions, our politicians will play pretend until after the next election.   

I realize that it is not particularly helpful playing Monday morning quarterback with tragic human suffering. Canada was right to react with kids floating up on beaches.  

 

I don’t mean to tar the refugee or humanitarian process with a broad brush. I have nothing but respect for a hard job done well by our well trained and disciplined immigration officers. It is not easy selecting rom among those stuck in the former Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Iraq or Syria etc.

My concern is Ottawa’s delusional core belief that it has to keep a tight lid on its failed retention policies.

The over 1 million Canadian passports in Lebanon ,China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Gulf States ,the Indian sub-continent , and now Syria ,stand as testament to either Canada’s failed  recruitment , selection or retention policies.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I just don’t understand why we cannot have a discussion on what it takes to retain more immigrants. If the system is broke, then fix it.     

My own suggestion is that:

• Let’s admit that the old way needs some serious adjustment     

• We should eliminate the landed immigrant process.
• Instead, Canada should go straight from long term work permits to citizenship status. Each and every refugee and citizen applicant should work and pay taxes for 3-5 years

• We should start the new “retention driven“process by selecting the best of the best from among our 1 million undocumented workers. Let’s drop the old voodoo that undocumented folks cannot stay because they abused the system …. There is no system for trades workers from Italy , Portugal Poland etc

Canadians are fair people. They recognize the need for productive immigration.

But they know when they are being conned. And they don’t like it.

Richard Boraks, December 13 2016

Family reunification wait times for immigrants to be cut by half, John McCallum says

'You won't need a PhD in English to understand the forms,' Immigration minister promises

By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2016 11:18 AM ET Last Updated: Dec 07, 2016 12:07 PM ET

Immigration Minister John McCallum makes an announcement on family reunification during an event in Brampton, Ont. on Wednesday. (CBC)

Newcomers to Canada will soon have a much shorter wait to reunite with their spouses, partners and children.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum announced today in Brampton, Ont., that the current average two-year processing period will be reduced to 12 months. The new one-year guarantee will apply to applications already in the queue and new applicants.

"This will be of direct benefit to the 64,000 spouses we will admit to Canada in the coming year," he said.

"But it will be of benefit to all Canadians, because I think people are more productive citizens, they do better overall, when they are with their families than when they are isolated from their families. This measure will be positive for the whole country."

• Canada to open door to more families
• Conservative MP seizes agenda
• More supports for refugees needed

McCallum stressed the accelerated processing time will not mean cutting corners on security or medical screening, and said the same mandatory checks will be place.

"Those will remain intact, and our immigration officers will remain vigilant to detect and impede fraudulent marriages," he said.

Fraudulent marriages can result in the loss of permanent resident status for the sponsored individual or the sponsor.

The expedited processing will be achieved by increasing the number of people processing claims and improving efficiencies in the system. 

Immigration Minister John McCallum announced the government is cutting the wait time for processing family reunification applications by half, from an average of two years to 12 months. (CBC )

The family reunification guide has been revamped from a cumbersome 180 pages to a streamlined 75-page document. The application process will also be "simplified" with plain language.

"You won't need a PhD in English to understand the forms,"  McCallum said.

The new application kits will be in place as of Dec. 15, 2016.

McCallum said he hopes to cut wait times even more in the future, but conceded the Immigration department is a "big ship" that can't be turned "on a dime."

The source:http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/immigration-family-reunification-1.3885129

Comment:

Some families are more respected than others

Today Immigration Minister John McCallum is at Brampton’s Indian Cultural Centre explaining why more families can be united more quickly with their parents, dependant children and grandparents.   

I never understood why the state pretends that it knows best when it comes to selecting which families in Canada should, or shouldn’t be united through immigration.

Of course there have to be rules assuring that Canada’s social safety net is not bankrupted through family class immigration.

But why do we see family reunification in tight little, non-economically viable compartments? We see older people beyond their prime. At best, they can baby sit or drive a cab. At worse, they visit the hospital for a few years. In any event, there is always OAS.   

Why does government not recognize that family reunification based on younger trades workers is a winner for Canada?

We used to have a great “family business” immigration class that sowed the seeds for many of today’s economic giants. The program died because the bureaucracy couldn’t figure out how to eliminate exploitation of the program.

Unfortunately, all overseas selection immigration programs eventually wither away because officials can’t deal with the bad apples that pollute the barrel. It’s too bad that programs are set up to work in a perfect world where unproven overseas applicants are assumed to be dealing in good faith. .

Rather than admit that the 40 year old family and economic immigration “overseas selection” models have failed, the state keeps inventing new programs and new announcements, including today’s in Brampton. Minister McCallum knows that 40 years of bureaucratic determined overseas section has yet to come up with a program that was not doomed to collapse through corruption, frustration, cost and backlogs.  

Ontario’s undocumented trades workers stand as testament to government’s inability to see family immigration as a positive. Most of the Portuguese, Italian and Polish undocumented workers were pulled to Canada by the presence of established Canadian family. Many are employed in a family businesses, usually a trade.

The geniuses in Ottawa are genetically unable to do the simple and productive thing …go back to the future and simply build a project to grow family business with established workers.

So as John McCallum visits some families in Brampton that want to bring over the elderly, he may wish to consider the tens of thousands of other Brampton families that are being criminalized because officials still haven’t figured out how to document tax paying members of their families.   

Pierre Trudeau was right when he said that the police have no place in the nations’ bedrooms.Justin Trudeau should seize the opportunity and get the immigration bureaucracy out of the nation’s family businesses.

Richard Boraks, December 7 2016

Influential Chinese-Canadians paying to attend private fundraisers with Trudeau

ROBERT FIFE AND STEVEN CHASE

OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Dec. 02, 2016 5:00AM EST

Last updated Friday, Dec. 02, 2016 9:15AM EST

The Liberal Party is employing an under-the-radar strategy that taps into the power of Justin Trudeau to generate tens of thousands of dollars from cash-for-access events at the homes of wealthy Chinese-Canadians that provide intimate face-time with the Prime Minister that can be used as business currency at home and in China.

Attendance figures suggest the party collects a minimum of $50,000 per event from donors – and up to $120,000 – in a system that revolves around rich entrepreneurs in Vancouver and Toronto, home to large Chinese-Canadian business communities with people willing to shell out $1,500 per ticket to meet Mr. Trudeau in a private setting.

Some of the guests and hosts at the intimate fundraisers are well-connected to China’s ruling Communist Party.

Globe editorial: Justin Trudeau didn't invent cash-for-access, but he can end it

Related: Trudeau defends fundraiser as effort to attract Chinese investment

Related: Trudeau attended cash-for-access fundraiser with Chinese billionaires

Former Liberal cabinet minister Raymond Chan, who was Mr. Trudeau’s British Columbia fundraiser in the 2015 election campaign, helps with fundraising activities on the West Coast, while Toronto business consultant Richard Zhou is a key organizer of these events in Ontario.

Mr. Chan was at the most recent Trudeau fundraiser, which was held on Nov. 7 at the West Vancouver mansion of B.C. developer Miaofei Pan, a multimillionaire from Wenzhou province who immigrated to Canada a decade ago. More than 80 guests got their pictures taken with Mr. Trudeau at the $1,500 per ticket event, including Mr. Chan.

Mr. Pan told The Globe and Mail he lobbied the Prime Minister to make it easier for well-heeled investors from China to come to Canada. He said he told Mr. Trudeau the program put in place by the former Conservative government was “too harsh.”

In exchange for permanent residency, rich immigrants must invest $2-million and are subject to strict audits.

“If they don’t do business over two years here, they cannot stay or they have to leave the country. So I wanted the Prime Minister to know that is not a very merciful policy towards these people because they want to invest or stay,” Mr. Pan said. “It’s all about investment that Canada needs. I have friends, and [they are] wealthy people, who want to stay and invest.”

A Chinese government agency in Mr. Pan’s hometown that builds ties with and keeps tabs on expatriate Chinese, supplied photos of the Trudeau-Pan event to media in China. The Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Wenzhou People’s Government promotes China’s interests abroad, according to former Canadian diplomat and China expert Charles Burton.

“That is an agency of the Chinese Communist Party,” Mr. Burton told The Globe and Mail. “The fact that the photos appeared in the [Wenzhou Metropolis Daily] in China suggests that the people who participated in that activity must have been tasked by the Chinese state to try and promote the Chinese position with influential people in Canada. In this case, our Prime Minister.”

Mr. Pan is honorary chair of a Chinese-Canadian organization that is an unabashed backer of Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

In 2012, he was part of a campaign by overseas Chinese groups to rally public support for the Chinese government’s position in a dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea that are close to key shipping lanes, bountiful fishing grounds and possible petroleum reserves.

That year, Mr. Pan was quoted in the Macau Daily newspaper saying his organization, the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations, had “declared its stand in newspapers” and that “overseas Chinese were responsible for defending China’s territorial integrity.”

In 2015, the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations held a symposium at which speakers backed Beijing’s assertion of title to islands, reefs and banks in the South China Sea, and issued a statement saying it “strongly supports the Chinese government’s defence of sovereignty over the South China Sea.”

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Liberal Party kept the Nov. 7 fundraiser confidential. Neither the PMO nor the party website noted the event. At the time, Mr. Trudeau was in Vancouver to announce a new marine strategy.

“The party has … been clear that not every event is on the party’s national website, while it’s important to note that the Liberal Party of Canada is still the only major federal political party that maintains an active online events listing in any form at all,” party spokesman Braeden Caley said in an e-mail. “All fundraising by the Liberal Party of Canada fully complies with all Elections Canada rules and regulations for political fundraising.”

The Liberal Party would not provide The Globe and Mail with a list of attendees. Mr. Pan said all the guests were his friends, and all are Canadian citizens.

In Toronto, Mr. Zhou is the chief Liberal ambassador to deep-pocketed Chinese-Canadian business executives. His web biography says he is also a consultant to the state-supervised Beijing International Chamber of Commerce. He did not respond to phone calls or e-mails, but Mr. Caley confirmed that Mr. Zhou is a “volunteer fundraising co-chair in Ontario.”

Mr. Zhou helped arrange a May 19 fundraiser at the home of Chinese Business Chamber of Commerce chair Benson Wong at which Mr. Trudeau was the star attraction, an event attended by Chinese billionaire and Communist Party official Zhang Bin. A few weeks later, Mr. Zhang and his business partner donated $200,000 to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and $50,000 to erect a statue of Mr. Trudeau’s father.

Insurance mogul Hong Wei Winnie Liao has hosted several Trudeau fundraisers in Toronto. The most recent was on April 14, but no details are available from either the Liberal Party or Ms. Liao.

Reached by telephone, Ms. Liao said: “I will not accept any interview.”

“It may not be convenient for me to comment,” she added before hanging up. She did not respond to text messages asking about the fundraisers at her home.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly told the House of Commons the Liberal Party respects the “values that Canadians expect in terms of openness, accountability and transparency.”

New rules Mr. Trudeau set out when he won political power last year appeared intended to end cash-for-cash fundraisers. Those rules state “there should be no preferential access to government, appearance of preferential access” in exchange for political donations.

With reports from Xiao Xu, Kathy Tomlinson and Nathan VanderKlippe

rfife@globeandmail.com

schase@globeandmail.com

The source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/influential-chinese-canadians-paying-to-attend-private-fundraisers-with-trudeau/article33131597/

Comment:

What happens when failed immigration policies

      meet insane political financing rules?

I feel sorry for legitimate politicians having to waste time and reputation dealing with our crazy political financing rules.

Can anyone justify a process which forces a Prime Minister to beg for money at dinners that he would rather avoid?

Can anyone believe that a national political party will change public policy in return for a $50,000 dinner?

On the other hand:

Can anyone deny that consultants serving the Asian market are the tail wagging the immigration dog as they lurk in the political financing shadows?

Can anyone deny that less legitimate politicians are sharing the cash with the consultants as they game, and drive, the immigration process?

   

Our legitimate desire for financing “transparency” has backfired. Instead of controlling corruption, the rules have tied the hands of legitimate lobbying of honest politicians while unleashing the slime balls, both consultants and politicians, who play the immigration angles.

The cost of this dysfunction is high. It is on track to fundamentally change the country without Parliamentary or Constitutional approval."

Richard Boraks, December 2 2016