Proposed Refugee Law Would Speed Process

Jason Kenney, the minister of multiculturalism and immigration in Canada, passed a new legislation allowing refugees to have hearings more often in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. It used to be every 19 months, a refugee would have a hearing in front of the council to give his reasons for seeking a place in Canada illegally. Now this process will occur every 60 days. Additionally for claimants who do not pass the hearing, they will be made to leave the country within an year. Whereas the same process used to take 4 and a half years for failed claimants. As Kenney said: "These changes would result in faster protection for those who need our help and quicker removals of those who do not." The status quo is 15000 or more failed claimants who will shortly be asked to leave the country and 38000 or more unknown claimants who have not had claimants yet. The Canada Border Services Agency is on currently on the job of removing these refugees from Canada. Taxpayers in Canada currently pay $50000 per claimant who has not passed his or her hearing. The government wants to reduce this cost to about $29000 per failed claimant. This legislation created by Kenney is titled C-11 and he is still waiting for the government to change it into a law.

Jason Kenney's legislation is a very good proposal as it gets the job done fast and easy. Why should there be a whole 4 and a half year formal process of waiting and "discussing" about the refugees before any action is taken. The one year idea is very good but it is still too long to make a refugee leave a country. I think that once a claimant has failed his hearing, he should be made to leave within the next couple of weeks or month, no later. This will easily get the job of sorting out the 38000 or so refugees with unverified statuses. That is I find, one of the only problems with a democracy. It takes too long because there are so many formalities to cover in making a law.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/30/immigration-refugee-proposals.html

Canada In The Olympics

Although Canada came in 3rd place in the Olympics overall. As usual, the United States were in first place. However more importantly, Canada won the most number of gold medals in the Olympics and additionally broke the record for the most gold medals any country has ever won. They summed up their 14 gold medal count with the help of number 87, Sydney Crosby, of Canada's men's hockey team. Yesterday against they beat the U.S. in the men's hockey finals 7 minutes and 40 seconds into overtime breaking the 2-2 tie. Crosby's wristshot went past Ryan Miller into the right corner of the net coming from the left side. Before this goal the nervousness that was spreading through the Canadian crowd since the tie goal by the U.S., was suddenly broken.

I think this final match right before the closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics was the ideal match filled with enthusiasm, immense patriotic spirit and support for the Canadian team especially. It gives a sort of new identity to the Canadians, something they can be proud about and stories can be told about in the future. The U.S.A. has been a very big rival in hockey for Canada and now they can prove that they're better in some sense. Overall I think the Olympics have gone very good for Canada as they have also gotten gold medals on homesoil which was something they'd never done before.