simmigration issues need airi

WANTED: immigra-

tion minister with good a command of the

English language.

Must be able to listen to both sides in immigration debate without changing

Se. intake to fit political dogma.

Please apply. The country needs you.

"The current occupant in

8 the immigration chair has a serious hearing impairment, especially at the English end of the spectrum.

Lucienne Robillard’s

f recent waffling on the issuc of requiring immigrants to have proficiency in at least onc of the country’s two offi-

§ cial languages underscores her difficulties with listening to what is being said at street level about the country’s

ressing immigration prob- lems.

And last week’s immigra-

f tion hearings held in Vancouver that were aimed theoretically at gathering input from average Canadians into proposed changes to Canada’s immigration policies underscore the wrong-head- edness of the whole process.

Hearings, you say, how about hard of hearings?

Because most of the groups given audience by the

4. minister and her minions at Vancouver's posh Waterfront

_ Centre Hotel were those dri-

ing the gears of the new immigration industry.

1 Anyone suspected of preparing to toss sand in

ose. well-oiled political

¥ gears was conveniently left off

‘hearing agenda.

Thus the ministry listens

hard to those who have a : cae the immigration . n - the Independent ee on Aid Association, couver Chinatown

‘chants Association, World

ikit Organization, ‘Taiwanese

* Canadian Cultural Society,

tc. — but tunes out anyone -who might have some telling

“points to make.

- Folks like West

Vancouver’s Charles Campbell, who served on the country’s Immigration

Appeal Board trom 1973 to 1983. The experience con- vinced Campbell that the sys- tem was badly flawed. and he has since dedicated much of his time to researching immi- gration data and posing, uncomfortable questions abour the country’s approach to the issue.

Questions like: “Is what we are doing right? When we are bringing a quarter ura million people into the coun- try, should we have some sense of what our needs are and base our immigration policies on those needs?”

Or simple points like: “Let's examine it (our immi- gration policy) and under- stand what we are doing. Then base those policies on good reason and the needs of the country.”

Radical stuff!

The sad truth is that

maiibox

Campbell's approach is radi- cabin this soft-centred land, because it is not being pur- sued.

There is ne meaningtul ongoing debate about real

immigration issues in Canada.

There is instead a chorus fine of political jazz dancers who jump to the bark of the immigration industry.

Though he notified the immigration ministry well in advance of the Vancouver stop in its travelling consulta- tion road show that he would like to make a submission, Campbell, with ail his research and immigration expertise, was left off the agenda.

Replaced by the Women Against Violence Against Women’s rape crisis centre and othe: equally relevant immigration-savvy outfits.

Campbell supports the recommendation in the Not Just Numbers report that immigrants should be profi- cient in at least one of the country’s two official lan- guages.

He maintains that, with approximately 50% of immi- grants to Canada now having proficiency in neither fan- guage, the requirements for

immigrants to succeed in Canada are being under- mined -- which ts doing nei- ther the country nor its immigrants any good.

Campbell has ditticulty with many of the report's other 172 recommendations. And he is critical of haw the federal government forntu- lates its immigration policies.

They are, he says, based on culovating the ethnic vote. Pure and simple.

Facts and analysis are for- cign clements in policy for- mulation. But before you tar Mr. Campbell with that ready racist brush, understand that his approach is nor based on emotional rhetoric.

Just the facts ma’am.

The presentation he did not get to make, for instance, quotes statistics and numbers.

And government itself:

“In his 1990 report, the auditor general wrote: ‘We note that such major program components as selected work- ers, family class and designat- ed classes have never been subject to formal program evaluations.

It is still not known, for example, if the criteria applic- able to these immigrant class- es are appropriate.”

Bridge transit gap with SeaBus

Dear Editor:

This is in response to the Feb. 15 News let- ter to the editor written by Walt J. Kusmin, “Add ScaBuses to transit system.” 1 fuily endorse Mr. Kusmin’s opinion. There are lots of people with constructive ideas — only Mr. Kusmin had the gumption to state it, as it

should be.I also congratulate your paper for publishing it. I also use the ScaBus and I love it.

It is inevitable that the plan for the new Vancouver Waterfront convention centre will take place and we are fast approaching the next millennium ... just two rungs away. It will indeed be a very busy place and moving people should be the theme of the regional transit planning committce — the Burrard Inlet way.

By sea, air and land we prosper is the city’s motto and what better transit route can we find other than Burrard Inlet.

Another SeaBus would certainly solve much

of the transit problem as stated by Mr. Kusmin. The rough figures as outlined by Mr. Kusmin are indeed peanuts compared with what is being spent on various transit systems.

Burrard Inlet is the answer and where clse

can one find a better view than our North Shore — it is here that the east should and will mect the west.

No more tunnel, no more bridges

Bridge the gap with the SeaBuses! Victor V. Naidu Vancouver

Mailbox policy

LETTERS to the editor must be legibic (preferably typewritten) and include your name, full address and telephone number.Due to space constraints the North Shore News cannot publish all letters.

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The Textile Arts Program encourages experimentation and an awareness of contemporary and historical textiles. Projects can be directed towards fine art, clothing, or interior design. Core courses focus on surface design and weaving.

Applications are now being accepted for courses ‘starting next fall. Interviews will be held in May.

_For more information and to sct up an interview, contact the Visual and Performing Ants office at

Strategies to Reduce Tax ~ Now & Forever

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Sunday, March 8, 1998 ~ North Shore News - 7

And from a 1995 House of Commons Commitice an Immigration report: “Immigrants who don’t have French or English are half as likely to participate in the labor market, the unemploy- ment rate is ovice as high and even after a period of cight vears in the country there's still significant performance differences ...”

Others left on the outside of the immigration hearing arena included West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP John Reynolds.

The Reform party immi- gration critic says “the whole thing (consultation process) is a bit of a joke. They are not listening to average

Canadians.

“The government collects a fot of money up front (from immigrants} but doesn’t help them co learn the language.

“There are people going, into Grade 1 who don’t speak English. It has to be the responsibility of parents to teach their children the language.”

But they are nor waking non that responsibility. And that is wrong.

And much else is wrong with how the country chases its rail on this issuc, too con- cerned about being branded racist to really examine the process and the practices that arc fiterally changing the face of the nation.

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