(Prime Time Crime exclusive Nov. 29, 2004)
Immigration Minister struggles for integrity, credibility
By Leo Knight
It’s nice to know that nothing has changed under the stewardship of Prime Minister Paul Martin. The Liberal party is still mired in patronage, scandal and the resulting denial that always follows with these guys every time they are caught breaking the rules of ethics and morals in government. Which is quite often.
Amid the daily revelations from the Gomery Inquiry showing just how much the PMO was involved in Adscam, we are now witnessing another cabinet minister squirm daily in the House of Commons trying to defend the indefensible in what has been dubbed “Strippergate.” And on the weekend, from deepest Africa, the voice of the PM was heard expressing confidence in embattled Immigration Minister Judy Sgro.
The optics of this are all wrong for the government and Martin seems not to understand this. Or he does and is defending her anyway and that is perhaps even more scary.
Sgro found herself on the opposition’s griddle after it came out that she approved a temporary work visa for a Romanian stripper who had worked on her campaign for re-election. The situation was further exacerbated because the peeler had been ordered deported by Sgro’s own department officials prior to the campaign.
Then, as she lurched from one vacuous statement to the next, Sgro claimed the ministerial permit was issued on “humanitarian” grounds.” What those were she refused to discuss, conveniently seeking shelter behind “privacy concerns.” Which, I might add, is absolute nonsense. Especially after the stripper in question, Alina Balaican, wrote a letter to various media outlets outlining her version of events essentially waiving whatever privacy concerns to which she might have been entitled.
The minister was put a little further out on the limb after it was reported that the minister’s chief aide, Ihor Wons, visited a shadowy club owner at a strip joint and discussed work visas for other girls from Eastern Europe. The individual had also donated $5500 to the Liberals.
Sgro defended her aide when appearing on Canada AM, she said, “My staff went and met with the owners of one of these strip clubs. He paid a courtesy call at the request of a friend, met with him, told him that they couldn't do anything for them.”
Interesting too, her choice of words. “My staff. . .” Wons’ title is Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister. He’s not some lowly intern running errands. Apparently we now know the price of a private audience with a senior staffer to a Minister of the Crown. Or is there something more nefarious at play here? Especially when you read, “at the request of a friend” in the minister’s words.
Sgro also tried to convince us there is a shortage of strippers and that was one of the reasons her department granted visas to 601 foreign peelers last year. Amazingly enough, 582 of them were from Romania.
That was quickly knocked down by a University of Toronto law professor, Audrey Macklin, who has studied the industry. “What in fact the demand is for these days is for women to lap dance, and not just lap dance but basically to be on some guy's lap naked while he gropes her and may masturbate under her and that sort of stuff,” Macklin said in an interview with CP.
So, what else did Judy have for us to try and justify this nonsense? Well, she cares for them and is trying to stop their exploitation apparently.
Really?
So, considering the bulk of the stripper industry is controlled by the bikers in this country, delivering hundreds of foreign girls to the tender mercies of the Hells Angels is somehow protecting them or offering them sanctuary?
NDP leader Jack Layton weighed in saying the federal government was “The Liberals are essentially pimping for the sex trade,” he said on Friday after another session in the House with Sgro trying to defend against a withering barrage.
But he’s right. And I don’t say I agree with Jack Layton easily. But he explained his position, “The visa program we have is reprehensible. It is essentially provided for women from very poor countries to come to Canada and dance for Canadian men and get involved in the sex trade.”
He also forgot the “exploited by organized crime” part, but he is on the right track.
The Minister pledged to tighten the visa rules. Which is interesting considering it is she and her staff who seemed to have little regard for the rules. But she declined to end the practice of allowing the immigration of strippers because, (are you ready for this?) “that would wipe out the whole industry.”
If Sgro really believes that is a concern or even if it is an industry worth fighting for, her priorities are about as misdirected as her moral compass. We have a great many industries the government should be concerned about and the smoky world of strip bars, lap dancing, prostitution and organized crime is not chief among them. Or at least, it shouldn’t be.
Sgro’s cabinet colleague, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler is on record saying this country should be doing more to stop the “grotesque” illegal sex trade. He seems to be rather at odds with her.
So too, is the rest of the country. Well, except the Prime Minister apparently. He’s on her side.
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