Wednesday, Apri! 15, 1998 - North Shore News —- 9

north shore news (Cae Capilano

Siory missed preventive measures

Dear Editor:

1 was heartened to read
about Jack Carlisle’s story as a
Prostate cancer survivor and
his involvement with the
Prostate Cancer — support
group in the March 15 News.

However, | was disap-
pointed that there was no
mention of the preventive
steps that men can take to pre-
vent this disease from devel-
oping in the first place. It is
generally well agreed upon
that almost every cancer
(including prostate . cancer)
has a diet association and cer-
tain foods can help to decrease
Or. increase a person's risk of

MAIL BOX

developing the disease.

Tomatoes, for instance,
contain a phytochemical,
Lycopene that has been
shown to decrease the risk of
prostate cancer so much so
that populations that consume
a lot of tomato-based prod-
ucts have a much Jower inci-
dence of the disease.

I would suggest that
groups that discuss the partic-
ulars of the many chronic dis-
cases that are common in our
socicty also check out how
our North American diet is at
least in part respons:sle for
our high incidences of cancer,
heart disease, stroke, and dia-

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7 Dear ‘Editor:

«Good news British Columbians: “Oo
* Many of us look at life and try to ‘understand what it means
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God: Himself has revealed co us what it’s all about.
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is'a reality.

cclings of guilt and our conscience that bovhers and nags us
re’a.witness thar sin is real — a fact, Some /people try to do
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o and is Holy and: Righteous.

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2 and wrong; good and evil.

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ness."

: He has. given us ‘Light"— The Way — The Truth — The
ife:: God ‘so loves’ us-that He pave His Son, Jesus, that we

might find forgiveness for sin.

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imself so that we would have. real life, freedom, joy and peace

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IMIMIGRATION ISSUES

About a month ago, while 1 was in
contact with the Australian Government
regarding its approach to Aboriginal
land claims (see my North Shore News
Report of March 25/98) the offer was
made to send me a summary of the
immigration reforms which are currently
underway in that country. After reading
through the material, | can see that
Australia is way ahead of us in address-
ing abuses of the system which had led
to the same type of collapse:in public
confidence about immigration that has
occurred here in Canada.

Despite their willingness to brag about
these new initiatives though, it would

appear that the Australian Government -

embarked on a-program of reforms only
after two very outspoken MPs, who had
been elected as independents, galvanized
majority public opinion to the point that it
could no. longer be ignored or attacked as
racist or intolerant. The public warited. an
end to sham marriages, bcsus refugee
claims, excessive and un’ :
reunification quotas, the ove: ig by the
courts of criminal deportation orde:s, and a
greater emrhasis placed on language and
job skills. * ;

WHAY ARE THEY DOING?

In a speéch.to the National Press Club
on March 18, 1998, Australian immigration
Minister Philip Ruddock said that immiara-
tion levels had been allowed io grow for
_ three years in a row with no explanations or

{ rationale for the growth being given te the
Australian people..“The program has come
to be dominated” he said, “by the family
stream, while some of the skill supplemen-
tation categories allowed entry of people
with relatively poor employment prospects.
Nothing undermines community confidence

, inour immigratics policies more than sham
marriages, queue jumping, and people
using our review and judicial provisions to
delay departure.” If all of this sounds a little

too much like the Canadian immigration
system, perhaps we should be encouraging
our own Minister of immigration to adopt the
Australian “Integrity and a Fair Go” plan.
Here are some of the main points:

* More rigcrous interviews for. de
facto spouse applicants, with a mini-
mum 1 year cohabitation requirement

* Medical examination by an

Australian Government approved doc-:

tor,. including: x-rays, with _Mandatory
HIV/AIDS testing for those over 15 years
. of age
' + Anew law prevents tne courts from
overturning rejection decisions made by
‘the Independent Review: Tribunal and
1. Immigration Department officers.
-* Visas can be refused or cancelled
: by the Minister for those who have com-
| mitted crimes in Australia, with the onus
‘then being on the applicant to prove
good character.
* The emphasis for the acceptance
of refugees has shifted to those identi-

fied as genuine by the UN High Com-_

missioner for Refugees.

* A two year waiting period before _

‘new immigrants become eiigible: for
social.security benefits
. % Sponsors must post bonds of up

to $3,500, plus a health services fee of
$924, for each person sponsored.

* Selection emphasis is being moved
onto younger applicants who have
English language skills and recognized
job skills.

* Sponsored elderly parents are
more likely to be granted only temporary
residency, rather than immigrant status,
to prevent abuse of. the social ‘security
and medicare system. -

%* More rigorous background and
character tests for a! applicanis ~~

* No more than two lifetime sponsor-
ships of spouses or partners, with a min-

imum of 5 years between sponsorships: :

* A $1,000 fee foliewing: an unsuc-
cessful decision of the Refugee Review
Tribunal

EFFECTS AND REASONS

-As a result of the above changes, off-
shore spousal! applications have dropped
by an amazing 45%, total applications are

down significantly, and family reunification

has gone down from 70% of all immigration
to around 25%. The Minister of Immigration

sees this as evidence that there was wide: .

spread abuse in the system, and says he is
determined to restore confi idence in: the
integrity and fairness of the process ‘for

screening: and. selecting immigrants. and

refugees. |
Many of the reasons for introduction of
the above initiatives can be found:on. the
Australian immigration Department web site
at www.immi.gov.au but most are based on
studies within Australia which found that:
* Skilled immigrants with English
language functionality contributed more

to the economy than did those entering.

under family reunification. :
* Virtually all of the ‘applications by

elderly parents under family: reunifica-.

tion were coming from countries which
lacked a social security system, raising

questions about the motives of the.

applicants. lop,
*The courts. were rewriting
Australian law by overturning deporta-

: tion orders of persons who had commit: |.
ted serious crimes such as rape, drug.

trafficking, and armed robbery. *

* There was widespread abuse of the
sponsorship system, particutarly via
sham marriages.

* Begus refugee: claimants were
clogging the tribunal and court systems.

* ‘The incidence of criminal activity
and unemployment was higher amongst
unskilled immigrants and those who
could not speak English.

Itis difficult to have an open and produc-

tive discussion about immigration policies in:

Canada because of the racist ‘and bigot
labels which immediately get thrown at
those who want to talk about the problems.
Like the aboriginal. iand claims issue
though, perhaps Australia is showing us our

future with respect to immigration: policy, |

and maybe we should begin monitoring
their successes and failures with respect to
the changes that country has made and is
making. ~

302-1200: Lynn Valley Read, North’ Vancouv

College

AT CAP)

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cultural
experience

Find out about a trip of
a lifetime to the Orient
onan atts and cultural
tour. Only 40 spaces
available on two 20-day
trips; one leaves
September 30 and the
other leaves on October
21. Both cost Cdn.
37.745 (all inclusive).
These will be a
presentation in the
Capilzno College
Perforininy Arts
Theatre on Sunday,

April 19 at 2 p.m. To
reserve your space, call
983-7566.

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"professor Arnie _
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(SBA NT27- ae

_ CAPILANO’

“ COLLEGE

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