Could it be the Canadian government is corrupt?
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Martin backs up Sgro amid stripper scandal
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CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Sun. Nov. 28 2004 7:56 AM ET
Immigration Minister Judy Sgro was backed up by her boss today, amid a scandal involving an entry permit for a Romania stripper who volunteered on her re-election campaign.
Prime Minister Paul Martin, who is in Burkino Faso for the Francophonie summit, was asked by reporters whether he would fire Sgro, or accept her resignation if offered. He offered a curt reply.
"No ... on both counts," Martin said. "I'm very confident in the minister of immigration."
Sgro has consistently come under attack in the House of Commons over her office's decision to extend a residence permit to a Romanian stripper, and Ottawa's controversial program to allow foreign strippers to get special work visas.
"I deny any allegation," of wrongdoing, Sgro told the House Friday during question period.
Alina Balaican received the ministerial permit three days before the June 28 federal election, which returned the Liberals to power with a minority government.
Sgro said Balaican was allowed to stay under "humanitarian grounds." She said Balaican was "an individual married to a Canadian citizen, working in an industry that she no longer wanted to work in."
When asked about how the case was handled, Sgro said she'd do it "again today."
As for the fact that Balaican worked on Sgro's re-election campaign, Sgro told Canada AM had no knowledge of that.
"I wasn't even aware of the fact that she had worked on the campaign," she explained.
"I had vertigo -- very bad -- for most of the summer. For the last two weeks of the campaign I was not in the campaign office."
The matter has been referred to the ethics commissioner, Bernard Shapiro.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper accused the federal Liberals of "breathtaking hypocrisy" for allowing the import of strippers, while complaining about sexual exploitation.
Strip club meeting
Sgro also has come under fire over a meeting in a Toronto strip club at which her chief advisor, Ihor Wons, discussed visa requests with the owner. That owner donated $5,500 to Liberal coffers.
"My staff went and met with the owners of one of these strip clubs," Sgro told Canada AM. "He paid a courtesy call at the request of a friend, met with him, told him that they couldn't do anything for them," she said.
"That was the end of the issue."
When asked if she would resign, Sgro said: "Absolutely not. I'm preparing to move on to develop a new framework."
That framework, she said, will include a major overhaul of the stripper visa program. "As of Dec. 15, the program will be changed completely. If there is a need, it will have to be done on a case-by-case basis."
Sgro has insisted strip clubs have a right to find workers. She did, however, admit on Canada AM that she does not care much for the line of business.
"Personally, you don't really agree with it?," CTV's Beverly Thomson asked.
"No," she replied.
Last year, 601 foreign dancers got temporary work permits; 582 of them from Romania.
With files from The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20041128/martin_sgro_stripper_041127/#ixzz1jvzUQeuD |
