Proposed Immigration Changes 'Major Step Backwards,' Says Bar Association
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iYduvHLWyTgnj2ts9eBwU7qg76AA
May 12, 2008

OTTAWA — The Canadian Bar Association is urging Parliament to discard amendments to immigration legislation, calling them "a major step backwards in the evolution of Canadian immigration law." Bill C-50 would return Canada to a time when visas were given out on a discretionary basis, without sufficient objective criteria, the association's Stephen Green said Monday.

"The amendments are not necessary to meet Canada's immigration goals," Green said.

The changes would fast-track highly coveted immigrants - such as doctors and other skilled labourers - while others would be forced to wait in the queue. They would also allow government to set annual limits on the number of applications processed. The Opposition Liberals have denounced the proposed measures but have been unwilling to back up their position by defeating the minority Conservatives over them.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley said ministerial instructions on processing applications will be based on input from the provinces, employers, organized labour and stakeholders. "They will be tabled in Parliament and they will comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prevents discrimination based on race, country of origin and religion," Finley said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

"If nothing is done, it will soon take 10 years for an application to be processed. That's unfair to immigrants and their families who want to come to Canada, and to Canadian employers who want to hire them." She said the proposed changes are meant to ensure fairness by streamlining the decision-making process while helping newcomers get jobs appropriate to their skills and market needs.

The bar association acknowledged the backlog of immigration applications and labour shortages are critical but it suggested the proposed measures are overkill. Ottawa already has the authority to dispatch teams to reduce backlogs, to establish priorities, and to streamline processing for temporary foreign workers in critical areas, it said. The group warns the changes could place legislative power in the minister's hands without parliamentary oversight or stakeholder input.

"The amendments could lead to an erosion of the rule of law - a principle whereby everyone, including governments, are subject to the law, and the law itself must be fair and free from the influence of arbitrary power," it said.

Coming in a wide-ranging budget implementation bill, the proposals contain two key changes:

• The government would produce a list of skills that Canada desperately needs, then fast-track applicants who have those skills.

• The government would limit the number of applications Canada looks at in any given year.

The recent federal budget also included $109 million to help reduce immigration wait times. The Tories have refused opposition demands to split the amendments from the budget bill, a confidence measure.

Finley said they belong in the budget bill because they're key to the national economy. She said the government's objective is "to help business stay in business." Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers and law students belong to the bar association, a non-partisan group aiming to improve the law and the administration of justice.

See also: Minister: Immigration Bill Designed To Limit Immigration Applications To Canada - http://www.goanvoice.ca/2008/issue10/newslinecanada.htm#nlc_1

Crucifix Will Not Be Removed From Quebec National Assembly
Let's move on, says Quebec accommodation commission
CBC News
Excerpts from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008l

Quebec's national assembly voted unanimously to reject the commission's recommendation to remove the crucifix hanging over the Speaker's chair. After tabling the motion Thursday, Premier Jean Charest said the religious icon reflects Quebec's cultural and institutional heritage and should stay where it is.

"We cannot erase our history," Charest said Thursday in pledging to keep the crucifix where it is - hanging over the Speaker's chair. "The crucifix is about 350 years of history in Quebec that none of us are ever going to erase, and of a very strong presence, in particular of the Catholic Church. "And that's our reality. And those who come to Quebec are joining a society where that history is now something that is part of our story."

Photo: CLEMENT ALLARD/THE CANADIAN PRESS

The crucifix above the speaker's chair in the Quebec National Assembly that a report released May 23, 2008, urged to be removed. A motion by Premier Jean Charest to preserve the symbol was adopted

Excerpts from Reports:

The time has come for Quebec to get over its collective identity crisis and adapt to the realities of a secular, pluralistic society, says a provincial commission's report on the thorny issue of reasonable accommodation.

"The foundations of collective life in Quebec are not in a critical situation," said the Bouchard-Taylor commission, in its final report on the state of so-called reasonable accommodation of religious and cultural beliefs.

"What we are facing, instead, is the need to adapt," and the government must play a leading role in establishing better guidelines for "interculturalism," concluded the authors, sociologist Gérard Bouchard and philosopher Charles Taylor, in their 300-page report.

"The report is not putting any guilty feelings on anybody," Bouchard said in French at a news conference in Montreal on Thursday, following the document's release.

"Rather, our approach was to identify problems, issues ... evaluate the very nature, the scope of the issues, seek out the causes, find explanations and enunciate what solutions might be at hand," he said.

The report summarizes months of public hearings held last year across the province that explored the impact of religious accommodations on Quebec's identity and values. Those meetings exposed many anxieties felt by Quebecers of French-Canadian descent about the apparent threat of accommodation on their identity.

Fiery identity debate ignited by 'crisis of perception'

The commission said insecurity was largely fuelled by a "crisis of perception," stoked by distortions in media reports on individual cases of accommodation.

"All those who live here, who work here, who make their life here, who are part of our society are Quebecers, regardless of their origins."— Charles Taylor, co-chair, Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices The report also emphasized that Quebecers of French-Canadian descent, even though they are a minority in North America, remain the ruling majority in Quebec, where their collective identity is protected. "Immigrants are called upon to share, to join the fundamental values of Quebec society," Taylor said at the news conference. "They're called upon to learn French, and they're called upon to participate in the day-to-day life and to integrate ... into Quebec society.

"In exchange, the whole society must give them the tools to do all this."

The province needs to define its secular nature to improve relations between the majority and ethnic minorities, said the commission. One of the 37 recommendations put forward by the commission was to prohibit provincial judges, Crown prosecutors, police officers and prison guards from wearing religious signs and clothing while on the job.

Teachers, health-care workers and students, however, should be allowed to wear hijabs, kippas or other religious wear or symbols, the report said.

The report also suggests enshrining interculturalism in a statute, policy statement or declaration at Quebec's national assembly. Moving the crucifix from the national assembly to a nearby part of the provincial legislature would also help emphasize the government's secular nature and function, the report says.

Prayers should also be eliminated from all municipal council meetings, the commission said.
Provincial legislature rejects crucifix recommendation Quebec's national assembly voted unanimously to reject the commission's recommendation to remove the crucifix hanging over the Speaker's chair.

After tabling the motion Thursday, Premier Jean Charest said the religious icon reflects Quebec's cultural and institutional heritage and should stay where it is. But he welcomed the commission's report, stressing its importance in Quebec's public debate over common values, which Charest said include the primordial importance of French, and gender equality.

The Liberal minority government will take some time to read the report before issuing its "action plan" on recommendations, he said. But the government is prepared to step up outreach efforts towards immigrants interested in living in Quebec, and plans to introduce a declaration that newcomers will have to sign, outlining their commitment to the province's values, including the importance of French.

"The goal is to make it very clear [these values] are our values as Quebecers," he said in French. "That way we can understand each other and live together."

Other recommendations in the report:

• Educational institutions are not required to offer permanent prayer rooms, although they should grant temporary space on an ad-hoc basis.

• The government should make sure its immigration quota reflects resources available to integrate newcomers into Quebec society, especially when it comes to jobs.

• Quebecers should adopt a multilingual attitude that includes more willingness to learn English and other languages, but not at the expense of French.

• Gender accommodation that compromises equality should not be allowed, especially in health-care settings.

• The government should increase funding to community groups that help newly-arrived immigrants, and organizations that promote intercultural dialogue.

• Quebec should come up with ways to reduce the "extremely" high unemployment among Quebecers born in Africa who have been in Canada for less than five years.

• The government should speed up the process of recognizing foreign-acquired professional skills and training.

• Quebec should promote immigrant settlement outside the greater Montreal area, where nearly 87 per cent of the province's newcomers live.

'Cracks Are Appearing' In Canadian Housing Market:Scotia Economics
Thu May 15, 8:25 AM
By The Canadian Press

TORONTO - There is now convincing evidence that Canada's housing market has come off the boil, Bank of Nova Scotia economists say. Home resales have fallen for four consecutive months, and the inflation-adjusted average resale home price registered its first quarterly decline in seven years during the first three months of this year, Scotia Economics noted in a report Thursday.

"Cracks are appearing on the new home front as well," the bank said, as demand for new residential building permits has fallen sharply and price increases are moderating as inventories of unsold homes trend higher.

"We expect overall sales volumes in 2008 to total about 15 per cent below last year's record levels, and home prices to increase on average by about five per cent," said Scotiabank economist Adrienne Warren.

"Price gains should slow further in 2009 with the return of a balanced market for the first time in a decade."

Meanwhile, housing starts are projected to decline to about 180,000 annually by the end of the decade, from the current 225,000-unit range. The report observes that the cooling market is most notable in many of what had been Canada's hottest markets, including Calgary and Edmonton. But Warren said a major national correction - like the slumps that followed the housing booms in the 1970s and 1980s - is not in the cards.

"Our long-term housing price model puts average home prices in 2007 at about eight per cent above their long-term trend, compared with a premium of 12 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively, at the 1976 and 1989 housing cycle peaks," she said.

Canada's real estate market is not overbuilt and households are not excessively indebted, Warren added.

"At the end of the day, we predict a soft landing for the Canadian housing market, with somewhat lower sales and construction, and a period of relatively flat inflation-adjusted home prices."

A Slowing Economy Will Dampen Housing Activity In 2009

TORONTO, May 15 /CNW/ - Slower than expected economic growth across the province will dampen housing demand in 2009, according to the 2008 Second Quarter CMHC Housing Market Outlook - Canada Edition released today.

Highlights of the Ontario forecast include:

• U.S. and Canadian economic growth will decelerate but downturn is expected to be shallow.

• High Canadian dollar and slower U.S. consumer spending on durable goods will negatively affect international exports, impacting Ontario's economy.

• Ontario resale volumes will be moderate with 193,000 units this year and 181,000 units next year.

• Ontario home prices will grow at a slower rate, rising 3.5 per cent this year and 2.4 per cent in 2009.

• Windsor and St. Catharine's-Niagara will under-perform due to business ties to a slowing US economy, while Sudbury continues to benefit from high commodity prices.

• Ontario home starts will remain above historical averages with 72,000 units this year and 65,000 units in 2009.

• Apartments will continue to capture a larger share of new construction activity.

"A rise in mortgage carrying costs and slower than expected economic conditions will dampen housing demand particularly among first time buyers," said Ted Tsiakopoulos, CMHC's Ontario regional economist. "However, demand for modestly priced housing will hold up better as declining employment opportunities in higher paying employment sectors encourage demand for both apartment ownership and rental accommodation."

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada's national housing agency for more than 60 years. CMHC is committed to helping Canadians access a wide choice of quality, affordable homes, while making vibrant, healthy communities and cities a reality across the country.

For more information, visit:  www.cmhc.ca  or call 1 800 668-2642.

Poll Finds That Many Canadians Not Financially Prepared For An Economic Downturn
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2008/21/c2478.html?view=print

TORONTO, May 21 /CNW/ - Despite the current volatile economic environment, only a quarter (22 per cent) of Canadians are saving more than they did before, according to a new Account Habits poll released today by RBC. In fact, 43 per cent of respondents are maintaining their current spending habits while one fifth (20 per cent) are spending more. "One need only look at the newspapers or television to see that North America is in an economic downturn," said Ashif Ratanshi, senior vice-president, RBC Branch Investments and Banking. "This is the time for Canadians to re-assess their own finances and ensure they are effectively managing their money so that they can withstand any sudden pitfalls or changes in their lives."

One of the poll's key findings was that on average most Canadians do not believe they are good savers. In fact, the majority (83 per cent) are worried they don't have enough money saved, and 86 per cent feel that they can't save as much as they would like. Less than one half of Canadians (49 per cent) have a rainy day account set up for an emergency. Of those that do, 55 per cent have only enough saved to cover one-month's worth of expenses, while 24 per cent have three-month's worth of expenses covered.

Give Respect To Gain Respect'
"I am Joachim de Figueiredo, and I will turn 100 on May 29, 2008."
http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/story.html

Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now
Published: Saturday, May 17, 2008

Who are you?
"I am Joachim de Figueiredo, and I will turn 100 on May 29, 2008."

Tell me about yourself:
Something to celebrate:City resident Joachim de Figueiredo reflects on his 100th birthday.

"I am of Goan (Indian) heritage, born in Pemba, an island off the coast of Tanzania, Africa. At the age of five, I went to live in India and studied there until 1927, when I came back to Africa and worked in Kenya as an accountant for the civil service until I retired in 1968. I was married to my wife, Ivy, for 53 years and had five children, four of whom immigrated to British Columbia. In 1973, we chose to leave Kenya due to the political instability and have since enjoyed the beauty of Vancouver, the security and opportunities offered in Canada together with its friendly people."

Who is coming to your 100th birthday party?
"Though none of my siblings or peers are alive, I am happy that each of my siblings are represented by their children together with children of my close friends in Kenya. The visitors are coming from Africa, India, Europe, Britain, the United States and eastern Canada. Some I last saw 40 years ago."

What do you miss most?
"I miss the companionship of my wife and old friends. Since I stopped driving at the age of 90, I miss going where I want, when I want."

You have lived a century in places all over the world. What things have you seen, what highlights can you recall,politically and personally?
Politically - in Kenya, society was stratified according to colour, but in Canada there is equality irrespective or race, gender or creed. Personally - we are losing the enjoyment of a simple life.

How has the world changed in your view?
I am happy to have lived to see a man of colour and a woman running in the American presidential race. I have witnessed the evolution of transportation from riding on a camel and a rickshaw to people flying to the moon. It took me 10 days to travel by sea from Kenya to India, now it takes 10 hours by plane. The effects of global warming (are another change). I have also experienced the advancement of technology, from sending a telegram which could take three days to present day instant text messaging. There is constant change and progress, but with this we are losing out on personal contact, community and family time, and crime is increasing.

What are your biggest life lessons learned or words of advice to pass on?
Faith and trust in God will always sustain you. Integrity is your most valued possession, and nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.

Favourite quote:
Give respect to gain respect.
Live and let live.
Do not give advice unless you are asked.
The secret of a long life is everything in moderation.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by a loving family as peace and harmony contribute to good health - issues are in the tissues.
jmoreau@burnabynow.com

Dr. Indira V. Samarasekera, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, new member of the Scotiabank 's Board of Directors

TORONTO, May 22 /CNW/ - Scotiabank today announced the appointment of Dr. Indira V. Samarasekera, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and Mr. Thomas C. O'Neill, retired Chair of PwC Consulting, as new members of the Bank's Board of Directors, effective May 26, 2008. "The Board welcomes Dr. Indira Samarasekera and Mr. Thomas O'Neill as new Directors," said Arthur Scace, Chairman of the Board, Scotiabank. "The addition of such capable Canadians reinforces the Board's ability to provide stewardship of the Bank and to supervise the management of the Bank's business and affairs."

Dr. Samarasekera is the University of Alberta's 12th president and the province's first female university head. Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, she is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (CIMM).

A member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee on Public Service, as well as the Advisory Board for the Canadian Space Agency, Dr. Samarasekera sits on the boards of the Conference Board of Canada, the Public Policy Forum of Canada, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and the Canadian International Council. She also serves on the President's Visiting Committee for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Mr. O'Neill was formerly CEO of PwC Consulting, COO of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Global, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Canada and Chair and CEO of Price Waterhouse Canada.

Mr. O'Neill is a director of BCE Inc., Loblaw Companies Limited, Nexen Inc. and Adecco S.A. He is a member of the External Audit Committee of the International Monetary Fund, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of Queen's University and a director of St. Michael's Hospital.

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 60,000 employees, Scotiabank

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