Doug COLLINS © get this straight « DO YOU think for one moment that our leaders in Ottawa are seriously going to do something about those refugees who are not refugees but who stream into this country anyway? If you do, you should receive the Nobel Prize for Optimism. Hope springs eternal, they say, but in the Ottawa case we are deal- ing with politicians who have about as much courage as a tit- mouse where immigration is con- cerned. Not only that, but there is loose in this land a fifth column of lawyers, lunatic churchmen and media wankers who will hold a party once we have gone Third World. Recent history bears ine out. There would have been no reason to have a “‘refugee’’ problem at all if the Tories and the Liberals be- fore them had had a thimbieful of intestinal fortitude. There have been hearings, reports and conferences galore on this subject, all of which came to nothing until we saw Sikhs and Tamils pouring ashore from boats. Even then, it tock our timid Ot- tawa gasbags 18 months to imple- sent preventive legislation, so- called. Why? Because their hearts weren’i in it. They were not so much acting as reacting. The invasion could have been siopped when it began, years ago. It existed when the Tories came to power in 1984, but they failed to nip it in the bud. The danger was t even to half-wits. But in 1986 the Baloncy mob ‘‘solved’’ the problem by having an amnesty. Liars from all over could stay. That was a signal to tens of thousands of other bums to make their way to the True North, where the welfare state was available to them at enormous cost to us. The result was that at the turn of the year we had 85,000, of whom no more than 5,600 would have been genuine — if that. T am not overstating the case. It was six years ago that 1,700 Sikhs arrived in Toronto claiming to be refugees. Only five have been given status. The rest went underground and didn’t even bother tu tum up for final hearings. They were no more ‘‘refugees"’ than you are. And so it went. Of the 2,000 Turks who came in early last year, for in- stance, only 140 have been shown flowed from the new rules. “Il- legitimate refugees to get boot,’’ read one. ‘Thousands face depor- tation,’’ read another. We shall see. Even before the new regs went into place, scoundrelly lawyers and immigration ‘‘consultants’’ were telling their clients not to worry. There would always be loopholes. Tnat’s my view, too. Consider: when a claimant ap- pears before a two-man board, he is in and safely landed even if only one member of the board says he’s genuine. As Charles Campbell the former Refugee Appeal Board vice-chairman says, the function is not to determine whether they are refugees, but whether they are not. There is a difference. Another factor is that most of the people appointed to these boards are do-gooders and im- migrants themselves. Mr. Baloney boasted about just that during his TV election debatc. (If you are not friendly to phoneys, you have no chance of getting such an ap- pointment.) A further escape route is thi:t the minister of immigration can allow a refugee claimant to stay in the country on humanitarian grounds even if both members of the board turn him down. All it will take is a bit of political pull from one of the state-subsidized ethnic associa- tions. Aziz Khaki of the Commit- tee for Racial Jristice will be very busy. Quebec is also a fly in the oint- ment of honesty. It has its own tion agreement with Ot- tawa under which it determines who shall or shall not come into the province from overseas. Already, the immigration minister for Quebec, Louise Robic, has stated that even if claimants in Quebec are sent home, she will veadmit them. And once they are in Quebec there is nothing to stop them from moving to B.C. or any other province. Want some more bad news? It will be an offence under the crimi- nal code to help “‘refugzes’’ to get into the country illegally. The penalties can be up to $500,000 or 10 years in prison. But wait! Any prosecution must have the personal ‘written consent of the attorney geacral of Canada or his deputy. Which means there won’t be any. In che meantime, the media are already dispensing sob story after sob story and will continue to do $0. As I say, ¥ am not optimistic that Wimpland will change. It would do that only if a flood of “‘refugees’’ descended on Baie Comeau. FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT Bert Wickham P.LI. C.LU. ONE OF Capilano College's most popular and successful writing courses is now in its second de- cade. Since 1978, Communications 190 -— Magazine Article Writing — has shown hundreds how to break into the freelance market. Now the course is taking a new turn. Says instructor Crawford Kilian: ‘‘One section of Com- munications 190 will run on Wed- nesday nights from 7 to 10 p.m., Jan. 11 to April 19. It’s open to anyone in the community who wants to try writing for money. ‘But the second section of the course, on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m., will be a distance educa- tion version. It’s designed to make CMWNS 199 available to students in Squamish and on the Sunshine Coast, as well as to people on the North Shore who can’t attend on Wednesdays.’’ 9 - Sunday, January 8, 1989 ~ North Shore News CAP PROGRAM TAUGHT VIA PHONE Course goes iong distance In the second section, students will gather at the college’s Secheit and Squamish centres, as well as at the Lynnmour campus. They will all be linked to the instructor by conference phone. Lecture and discussion will be based on hand- outs supplied at each centre. “*Students at the sateilite campus will send their manuscripts to me by fax,’’ says Kilian. “I'll review them over the phone with each A Place To Go When You're Pregnant And Need Support: GIRTHRIGHT Call 987-7313 » Free Pregnancy Test « 229 Lonsdate In Vancouver Call North Varicouver 687-7223 PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY... requires professional help. “FREE” copy of our booklet, IGNMENT IN BANKR’ Available Upon Request UPTCY” 291-9151 EVANCIC PERRAULT ROBERTSON LTD. (Actos Ino 2nd Narrows Arkige al Brentwood Mati at Willingdon Ave & Lougheed Itwy, N. Bumaby) student, make corrections, and send the manuscript back by fax.’’ In both sections, students will learn the ropes of freelance feature writing. They will write three arti- cles on subjects that interest them, and submit each to an established newspaper or magazine. Anyone interested in taking Communications 190 should call Crawford Kilian at 986-1911, local ots JANUARY ‘Clearance of Yine Aurilie A great opportunity to own fine quality home furnishings at great reductions. Our entire gallery stock is on sale. Bedroom, Dining room & occasional tables, sofas, love seats, chairs. IN PROGRESS THOMASVILLE GALLERY 4240 MANOR STREET, BURNABY Y% Block West of Sheraton Villa Inn HOURS: MON. TO SAT. 9AM to 5PM OPEN SUNDAY ” serving th the North Shore from Park Royal NOON TO 5PM BERT WICKHAM & ASSOCIATES LTD.