Feds were too timid in Strippergate affair
The Gazette
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
The Martin government should act quickly to
ensure, and reassure Canadians, that our country's human resources, immigration
and foreign policies are not being set and administered with the interests of
organized crime in mind.
That the federal government should find itself in
the position of having to do that is astonishing. Even more shocking are the
allegations a fast-track immigration program for strippers was left in place
because field officers were afraid of how organized crime would react if the
program were shut down.
This program came to light after Immigration
Minister Judy Sgro fast-tracked a Romanian stripper who had worked on her
re-election campaign. In the weeks following this revelation, information came
tumbling out, some of it dating back to 1998, about concerns foreign strippers
would be forced into prostitution at clubs run by organized crime.
On April 28, 1998, Pierre Pettigrew, then human
resources minister, approved a special exemption for foreign strippers, despite
warnings from the immigration department the women would be forced into
prostitution. Officials at Citizenship and Immigration, as well as other
departments, warned the blanket exemption was leading to sexual slavery of
foreign strippers in Canada.
A memo from April 8, 1998, obtained by CanWest
News Service, said, "Reports have emphasized that this profession
(stripping) is very closely linked with organized crime [as it is in Europe] and
that the primary concern is what faces these women in Canada."
A year later, on May 31, 2003, Daniel Jean,
assistant deputy minister of Citizenship and Immigration, expressed his concern
about the involvement of organized crime in the trafficking of foreign
strippers.
He wrote to Human Resources: "There is
increased vulnerability of exploitation of the dancers stemming from a demand
for increased level of contact with club patrons and an alleged involvement of
organized crime in the industry."
On June 9, 2004, Jean wrote another letter to
Human Resources: " ... many vulnerable women are being misled, exploited
and trafficked to support illegal sex-trade activities in Canada."
You can't get much clearer than that. The blanket
exemption should never have been granted in the first place. Pettigrew, who has
a history of simply sliding away from difficulties, has yet to tell the Canadian
public why he approved it. That's not good enough. Pettigrew, currently foreign
affairs minister, should accept responsibility for his actions.
It took Human Resources Minister Joe Volpe to
cancel the special exemption on Dec. 16. He is reported to have had to fight
with his own officials, who fear the department's field officers could face
retaliation from organized crime. Protecting officials is a valid concern, but
capitulating to threats is a disgrace which cannot be excused.
Prime Minister Paul Martin is going to have to
explain why Pettigrew and Immigration Minister Judy Sgro still are cabinet
ministers.
Their judgment has been found to be seriously
wanting.
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2004
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If yhe Feds
were too timid as you say,I hope the strippers w... gil morency
Keep the
terrorist out and let the strippers in!!!! Andy
Canada IS a
'Banana Republic'. When gov't starts to work for... Robert
Not only is
it a disgrace and an embarassment but it is ange... Dan Wilson
The fiberals
and organized crime, a match made in heaven. I... GLenn B.