NDP questions the exploitation of immigrants on reality TV

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Posted on 2013.03.19

NDP questions the exploitation of immigrants on reality TV

House of Commons

HANSARD

March 18, 2013

Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, while we welcome new appointments to the committee, this group is still representing Canada internationally today.

The minister has another outrage to answer for today as Canadians across the country are shocked that he personally approved filming immigration raids for reality TV. This is not some episode of Cops.

These are real people and real officers doing a dangerous job. Filming is exploitative and can put individuals in danger.

How could the minister be so reckless? Will he take responsibility and put an immediate end to this dangerous and offensive PR stunt?

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, the show is about the situation faced daily by our front-line border officers. The privacy of individuals is protected at all times. However, it is important to remember that each year illegal immigrants cost law-abiding Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. We expect the CBSA to enforce Canada’s immigration laws by removing individuals who take advantage of Canada’s generous immigration system by jumping the queue.

Ms. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (Alfred-Pellan, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, it is one thing for the minister to be obsessed with people who have gone through traumatic experiences, but it is another thing altogether for him to decide to share that obsession with the entire country.

The minister is showing no consideration for these people, who, for reasons we may never know, decided to put their lives in danger and flee their country. He should reflect on that before sensationalizing their situation.

Our border services officers do important and dangerous work. Reducing it to simple entertainment is unacceptable.

How much is this charade costing our border services?

Paying for HIV prevention

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Paying for HIV prevention

Imagine moving from one province to another and finding that the costs of your prescription medications aren’t covered in your new home. While the Canada Health Act provides for comparable levels of medical care from province to province, the same is not true when it comes to paying for life-saving medicines, including HIV meds…NDP health critic Libby Davies says if the Martin government had attached funding conditions for a pharmacare strategy back in 2004, the Harper government wouldn’t be dragging its feet now. Still, she says, the Conservative government should move forward on the matter now. “I think it’s very unfair, and in fact one could argue that it’s very discriminatory and completely contrary to the Canada Health Act, that depending on where you live or on your income, that you may or may not get the drugs that you need for HIV/AIDS,” says Davies. “To me, that’s structural discrimination. It’s more evidence of why we’ve got to fix this, and we shouldn’t be waiting until 2014.”

The original article, Paying for HIV prevention was published on July 8, 2011 in Xtra! News. Author(s): Dale Smith

Open Letter to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on Extradition of Marc Emery

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Posted on 2008.03.28

Open Letter to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on Extradition of Marc Emery

The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Senior Minister of Justice
105 East Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Nicholson,

I am writing to express dismay that the Canadian government has apparently blocked a sentencing deal negotiated between Mr. Marc Emery and the U.S. government. According to media reports, both Mr. Emery and the U.S. government have agreed to a deal that would see Mr. Emery serve a 5 year prison sentence, most of it in Canada, for charges arising from Mr. Emery’s mail-order distribution of marijuana seeds to the U.S.

While it is already unjust that Mr. Emery will be serving a multi-year prison sentence for activities apparently not considered worthy of prosecution by Canadian authorities, it is doubly problematic that the Canadian government has become the primary obstacle to a negotiated resolution of this case.

What possible harm is there in Mr. Emery serving most of his sentence in Canada, when it is my understanding that even U.S. authorities have agreed to this deal? In lieu of any other plausible explanation, it appears that the Conservative government is taking this position because of their own unrealistic, ideologically-driven approach to drug policy.

I strongly urge the government to reconsider its position on this case, and quickly reach an agreement with Mr. Emery and his legal team.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours Sincerely,

Libby Davies
M.P. Vancouver East

C.C. The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister; Joe Comartin, NDP Justice Critic

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