The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page 4— Halton Hills This Week, Wednesday, October 6, 1993 ‘ie? Opinion ig |HIS WEEN Georgetown, Ont: L7G 481, Halton Hills This Week, Wednesday Qe naan Halon Hl ie Wek cle copyright Ba bpd eee rea Po tba Es ont {typographical ero advertising goods or sor i he yt ; ‘his newspaper. Such material may ‘vices at wrong price, rset cll RO a ned LISHER: Ken Bellamy EDITOR: Colin Gibson fopolsek CREATION MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt \GER: Jean Shewell HON HILLS THIS WEEK IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & aaa INI PRODUCTION MANAGER: ty To the Editor: 5 attitudes demon- strated at the “Meet the Candidates Meeting” last Thursday evening made me ashamed to be a resident of This display of racism was a result of ignorant i individu- in desper- ation to blame someone for Canada’s economic and social problems. On behalf of all non-racist individuals, we applaud Norma Peterson and Brian Patriquin for their attempts to present their convictions pee sit the bigots in the ee destructive racist misconceptions must brought to light. Immigrants and refugees are not a drain on our social welfare system and Canada is not a safe haven for international terror- ists. Enteting claimants should be given Gs ver peer as we seco! fourth generation Candin immigrants do (that means all of us, unless you are native Canadian). Some in the audience were eager to point out that Canada has become a safe haven for foreign terrorists. This is a One case which is often referred to is the 1987 Mohmoud Mohammed PLO terrorist who landed on soil and was cleared to enter. However, accurate research indicates that it was Canada’s isolated immigration security system failing which allowed this to, happen, not immigra- tion policy. Secluded inci- dents like this suggest minor adjustments to the application Not a desi truction or shut down of the Another deeply ignorant -} argument which c: up ppuieeaey was hits immi- grants and refu; are takin; jobs from Canadians and- adding to welfare costs (or:as some said “they’re getting a free lunch”). This economic argument against refugees and immigration is misp] David Matas in his Book “Closing the Doors” writes: “We do not protect refugees to make money or help the Canadian economy. We tect refugees because they need protection. How.can a nation justify carrying out any humanitarian program if it must be judged by its eco- nomic benefit? The point is to _ In any case, refugees and refugees have positive effects in the landed country’s economy. have “higher labor force Participation rates.and are Prepared to work long hours in order to establish them- selves in their new country”. Refugees are often eco- cally desirable. They. are often educated, professional, trained and articulate. “Refugees and immigrants add to the demand for goods Racism condemned . and They arrive with few possessions, and tend to spend an inharmonious amount of their income on Canadian goods once they tart work.” Immigrants and refugees also help to stimulate the international trade ‘tween eir countries of origin. They tend to import goods from their home coun- tries and send Canadian :k home. Canada needs immigrants and refugees. “Because of the Jow birth rate of native-born Canadians, combined with rate of Canada has declined three cent sinee the ‘50s and reports predict: that Canadian (ges any oe rate after the tury will tetas sega eK much higher increase in the present influx of immigrants, and refugees is needed to wth Despite the significant numbers of immigrants and refugees from abroad each year, in 1990 the total influx nted was about one- half of one per cent of Canada’s La For those awaiting th work permits are a given to a claimant if he/she would be destitute without it. For many who cannot obtain work permits, welfare is their only option (despite their desire to work). Claimants who are not eligible for either welfare or work permits are often faced with no monetary ‘means of support. And for those who are finally recognized after years of bureaucratic delays, gov- ernment make no effort to make claimants feel comfort- able here. Canada is a multi- cultural society, our country’s richness in culture makes us what-we.are today, too many People are trying to paralyze this ethnic diversit One example of this was during the 1988 federal elec- tion. A Vancow' candi- date for the Reform Party, Douglas Collins, wanted a ‘tum to immigration policies of the ‘50s and ‘60s when quotas were imposed on non- be le said Canada should ue fewer Third World (sound familiar?) going on to say “for years now, Phe (ariament have keeping white folk out and letting every S.O.B. in.” Do we as a community want to combat racism? If the answer is yes, we must be aware that if discrimination in immigration and refugee pro- tection is condoned, eventual- ly discrimination will perme- ate throughout Canada’s entire value structure, legal system, judicial and political Sherilyn Kirkpatrick Georgetown * Quotes are borrowed from:Matas, David, Closing The Doors, The Failure of Refugee Protection, Toronto (1990) To'the Editor: I feel compelled to offer a response to your editorial dated Oct: 2. I am afraid I did not have the fortitude to ‘bear with you through this discussion, although I did make it to the bottom of the age. The confession, nay the profession, that you have never belonged to a political party on the premise “the Canadian people, not the political parties, should decide how our country is ques- tion who would represent these people in a govern- ment and who makes up political parties, if not Canadian people. Although the party sys- Turner a Reformer in disguise To the Editor: It was interesting to see Garth Turner’s attack on our Reform Party deficit reduc- tion plan at the Candidate’s debate in Georgetown last week, Here is a person who has promoted Reform principals for virtually all of his five years as a Conservative Member of Parliament under Brian Mulroney and just a few short months ago, ran for the leadership of his party and Prime Minister of our country based upon a platform of Reform princi- ples (remember the “Turner Plan”?) Now his is spear- ‘heading the attack on those ‘very principles, while his Party offers only hazy solu- tions to ae reek prob- lems Canad: mranune Thursday night’s debate, bis facts were not correct. Reform Party has no ae tion of increasing taxes (as ie Conservative Government has done 38 times in the last nine years). Reform would re-establish U.LC. as a genuine self- funding insurance program as it was originally con-. ceived, not a social welfare tool. Further, we propose to transfer. more responsibility for control of the plan to employees and employers, Garth has an advantage when it comes to a critique of our deficit reduction pro- gram; The Reform Party’s plan is in writing for all to examine, whereas the Conservative plan, if there is _ one, is hidden. Dick MacDuffee Reform Party candidate for Halton-Peel merely an The People’s Corner Party system is better than the alternatives tem has its imperfections should it cease to exist, I see only two alternatives. Firstly, an individual could rise from the masses to run for public office without a platform devel- oped by a group (party) and be sworn in as a leader who, although elected, would essentially be a dictator. The other alternative is to abolish government and allow anarchy to reign. In your musings on what the current political parties have to offersin this election campaign, you condemn as moose droppings their “out- lines” for the future. Perhaps:in fairness an outline, if that is what is being offered, is all a party can submit when one con- Siders that many future decisions will be based on economic forced not within a lone government's con- pte i.e., the global econo- Politicians are constantly criticized for promising what later becomes impossi- ble to deliver. It would seem wise and most fair to the electorate, therefore, to offer a direction and remain somewhat flexible to the needs of the future. One must be careful that criticism of current election- eering and the suggestion that all parties lack sub- stance does not convince some disillusioned readers to forfeit their right to vote Guest column 173-3918 on Oct. 25. This would cer- tainly diminish the power of the people. Furthermore, the stands on various issues that the Parties €spouse are drawn from its members, who also elect the riding representa- tives and leader of the party. T humbly make a sugges- tion that would add one more voice on behalf of the “Canadian people” to the dialogue concerning the running of the country: join a political party. Rosaleen Garneau Georgetown From the editor: This reader’s questions and con- cerns will hopefully be answered in my column in our weekend edition.