John Manley, George II and Steve Kroft (CBS)

   

How many is too few?

 
White Rock, B.C. - Monday, April 29, 2002 By: Rudy Fernandes
 

refugee
policy

John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister, is critical of David Harris, a former high level Canadian Security-Intelligence Service (CSIS) officer’s appearance on 60 Minutes. Defending his Liberal government’s refugee system, Mr. Manley said
“60 Minutes hasn’t been in the business of praising governments.”
The question is, what is praiseworthy about the Government’s refugee policy?

 

 

USA

Manley states almost three-quarters of those refugees seeking asylum in Canada this year, entered through the U.S. Why are refugee claimants accepted from the United States?

 

 

unable to
process

As of March, 2002, there were 50,000 refugee claimants; so many that the Liberal government admits it cannot properly process these and has scrapped plans to overhaul the refugee board. (The Toronto Star 4/27/02).

 

 

no
documents

“There are people coming here (Canada) claiming to be refugees. We don’t know anything about them.”
Testimony given before the Senate last year by former head of the Canadian Immigration Service James Bissett (National Post 1/28/02).

 

 

embassy
theft

“But there have been many cases of malfeasance by Canadian embassy officials around the world, including Syria, where at least $500,000 in fees paid for visas, passports and applications went missing a year or so ago. The same happened in the Los Angeles consulate.”

(National Post 4/4/02)

 

 

borders

Just how do these occurrences contribute to securing our borders?

 

 

so
few

CSIS director Ward Elcock urged people watching 60 Minutes to put the problem in context, saying

"few of those groups or individuals pose a threat of direct terrorist attack in Canada or indeed to our closest neighbour."

(National Post 1/26/02)

How many is too few? It took only nineteen terrorists to destroy the World Trade Center and only one young girl, a suicide bomber, to destroy a mall in Jerusalem.

 

 

 

In the face of these facts how does Manley seriously consider his government worthy of praise?
   
 

Rudy J. Fernandes

   
References:
  Former CSIS official now warning Americans to beware of terrorists in Canada , National Post
   
  John Manley's missed opportunity Ottawa Citizen
   
  Ottawa scraps refugee reforms Toronto Star
   
  Al-Qaida In Canada? April 25, 2002 60 Minutes