Romanian Strippers

[MisterPeePee]

This whole controversy over foreign strippers being issued permits to work in Canada is very perplexing to me. Some of these women are trained in other occupations and some have university degrees. But, will the Canadian Government let them come here to be teachers or nurses? No, but they will let them come to work as strippers. So, if a Romanian woman with a engineering degree wants to come to work in Canada, good luck. If she does, however, list exotic dancer on her visa application, she will likely get in. Pretty sad commentary on the intelligence and morality of some of the people in Immigration. Someone from the ministry said it's a way for these women to get out of there and build a better life for themselves in Canada. Shouldn't we be letting them do that in a career that doesn't demean them or turn them into sex objects? I figure if a woman wants to make a living as an exotic dancer, great, but our government shouldn't be saying, "Hey, you can come to Canada as long as you'll take you clothes off."

[diogenes]

and them when they do as in the case of the Doukabors (sp?) of a past geeration .... well that didn't please the collective us either!
You raise some valid ponts here MPP

[caffeine]

Former mortal enemies agreeing on points in several different threads now. My God, there is hope for world peace.

Well, maybe that's a stretch, but it does offer a glimmer doesn't it?

[diogenes]

Works for me

[diogenes]

Martin backs Immigration Minister


Photo: Fred Chartrand/CP
Immigration Minister Judy Sgro responds to questions from the opposition during Question Period in the House of Commons Wednesday, November 24, 2004.


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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — Prime Minister Paul Martin gave his embattled immigration minister an unequivocal vote of confidence Saturday in the face of a growing scandal over her department's role in entry permits for foreign strippers.

Mr. Martin, in Burkino Faso for the Francophonie summit, offered a curt reply when asked by reporters whether he would fire Judy Sgro or accept her resignation if it was offered.

"No ..... on both counts," Mr. Martin said. "I'm very confident in the minister of immigration."

Ms. Sgro has been under fire in the House of Commons this week over the involvement by her chief of staff, Ihor Wons, in a Romanian stripper's visa troubles and in a controversial program which sees foreign peelers getting special work visas.

Ms. Sgro has defended the government's policy of admitting foreign exotic dancers to work in Canada, saying the strip club business is "a strong industry" with "lots of customers."

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper called it "breathtaking hypocrisy" for the government to complain about sexual exploitation of women while importing strippers.

The Conservatives, who have been careful to make their accusations in the Commons, where they are protected from slander laws, claim Mr. Wons gave special consideration to Romanian stripper Alina Balaican, who is said to have worked on Ms. Sgro's re-election campaign.

They also say Mr. Wons met a Toronto strip-club owner who had donated $5,500 to Liberal campaign coffers and discussed importing strippers from the Caribbean.

Ms. Sgro conceded she has little enthusiasm for the program, which allows strippers into the country on special visas, but said the exotic dance industry can't find enough native talent and has the right to ask for imports.

She said she hopes to get rid of the program and deal with requests on a case-by-case basis.

Mr. Martin, who was wrapping up his visit to Burkino Faso on Saturday, pointed out that it was Ms. Sgro herself who referred the issue to Canada's ethics commission

[diogenes]

Strip-club owner kissed his Grits!

MARIA MCCLINTOCK, SUN OTTAWA BUREAU


TORONTO -- A Toronto strip-club owner who got a face-to-face meeting with Immigration Minister Judy Sgro's chief of staff is a regular contributor to the Liberal Party, Elections Canada records show. The Opposition used that latest tidbit of information yesterday to continue its assault on the embattled minister.

According to Elections Canada, the House of Lancaster Inc. - co-owned by Terry Koumoudouros and his brother Spiro - forked over $5,769 between 1993 and 2003.

Koumoudouros met with Sgro's chief of staff Ihor Wons at the strip club in an attempt to see how he could bring more strippers into the country.

"We know his intention was to get more strippers into Canada, circumventing our immigration laws," Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer fired at Sgro in the Commons, referring to the political contributions.

But Elections Canada records show that the House of Lancaster Inc. also contributed to the now-defunct Conservative and Alliance parties.

"The difference is we don't have the opportunity to manipulate any particular cases to issue ministerial permits," Jaffer said.

Koumoudouros could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Sgro continued to fend off the criticism by urging her critics to wait until the outcome of the ethics commissioner's review of the file is completed, but admitted she wished Wons hadn't gone to the strip club to meet with Koumoudouros.

Asked if there's been discipline taken against Wons, Sgro said: "I will review the report from the ethics commissioner and take whatever action is appropriate at that time.

"Mr. Wons is still on my staff and he will continue to stay there until the ethic commissioner reports. I will review his recommendations and report at that time," Sgro added.

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan brushed off calls for Sgro's head.

"There is a process in place. We should let the process run its course.

"I see no reason why Minister Sgro should step aside at this point," McLellan said.