Liberal Mp Dept: A leaked Aug. 5 note signed by French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux's chief of staff called on police to clear 300 camps within three months, and that "Roma camps are a priority.", according to Vancouver Sun. "This document proves France is engaged in a premeditated attack by expelling the Roma en masse," said Dosanjh, a former federal health minister and ex-B.C. premier and a Canadian politician embarking on a mission to Europe to "shame" the French government over its expulsion of Roma migrants said Monday that the release of an internal document is "smoking-gun" evidence the action is illegal. The French government has always denied it is targeting a specific ethnic group, which would violate European Union law. Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh said it is "smoking-gun" evidence to the contrary. As reported in the news.
@t brice hortefeux, canadian politician

Jason Kenney Dept: So it's no surprise that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has been musing about imposing new mandatory minimums for human trafficking, according to Vancouver Sun. It's been almost a year since the Ocean Lady arrived in British Columbia carrying 76 Tamil migrants. No one involved in that voyage is facing trafficking or smuggling charges. As for the more recent arrival, the Sun Sea, the RCMP is still reportedly trying to sort out the perpetrators from the victims -- if, indeed, that's an accurate way to characterize the relationship between the passengers and whoever took their money and this Conservative government has never encountered a law-and-order problem that it didn't want to solve with mandatory-minimum sentences. It's a facile answer to a complicated problem, a way to score political points and look tough. But there's precious little reason to believe that mandatory minimums would make the slightest bit of difference. We can tinker with sentences all we like; it's moot if the offenders never see the inside of a courtroom. As reported in the news.
@t human trafficking, vancouver sun

Vancouver Sun Dept: The fact that she is pregnant, has three children under 15 and that she sustained significant injuries in the Sri Lankan civil war all factored into the Immigration and Refugee board's decision to release her, according to her lawyer, Douglas Cannon, according to Vancouver Sun. Twenty-five female Tamil migrants with children remain at the Burnaby youth detention centre -- a centre chosen so that mothers could remain with their children and a pregnant woman is the first of 492 Tamil migrants who arrived earlier this summer aboard a Thai cargo ship to be released from immigration detention. The woman, who cannot be named under a publication ban, was released around 6 p.m. Monday with her children into a residence provided through the support of a local refugee service organization. As reported in the news.
@t immigration and refugee, refugee service

Different This Time Dept: Voters in St-Laurent have sided with the Liberals since 1966, and it was no different this time as Fournier easily claimed the seat left vacant when former public security minister Jacques Dupuis resigned in August, according to CTV. "I want to follow what he did in St-Laurent," Fournier told supporters Monday night of his predecessor Dupuis. "I want to work as hard as he did." Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier held on to the St. Laurent riding for the Liberals in a byelection held Monday. Dupuis represented St-Laurent for the past 12 years. As reported in the news.
@t jacques dupuis, security minister

Minority Candidates Dept: From one end of the city to the other, female and minority candidates are running competitively in at least a dozen ward races. If even a handful are elected, it will mean a significantly more diverse council come next year, according to The Star. That may soon change and a female doctor of Somali heritage is getting attention in Etobicoke North. A Muslim candidate is running strong against a veteran incumbent in Don Valley West. And two gay Chinese candidates are slugging it out in Toronto-Centre Rosedale. Toronto s motto may be Diversity Our Strength, but you wouldn t know it looking at the 44 councillors only nine women, and four people from visible minorities currently representing the city. As reported in the news.
@t toronto centre, female doctor

Canadian Minister Dept: Kenney's trip, which included a Tuesday stop in Beijing, comes a month after a boatload of Tamil refugees arrived in British Columbia. Most of the Tamils who were on board the ship, the MV Sun Sea, are still in detention, according to CBC. The minister said there are plenty of people willing to exploit those who are desperate to get to Canada and canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney is in Asia this week hoping to drum up support to curb human smuggling. Kenney said the federal government is committed to addressing the problem, but he added it will take better law enforcement in both Asia and Canada to stop future boatloads of desperate people from arriving in Canadian waters. As reported in the news.
@t minister of citizenship and immigration, jason kenney

Lt Gov Dept: Premier Greg Selinger made the announcement in Beijing Tuesday, where he is on a trade and tourism mission with Lt-Gov. Philip Lee, according to CBC. The service, provided through the provincial nominee program, will include a career plan based on labour-market information and out-of-country job and education qualifications and the Manitoba government is piloting a Canadian program designed to help new immigrants get a strong start when they arrive in the province. The pilot program will offer immigrants from China and the Philippines a "pre-arrival" orientation to help people plan their training and employment before touching down in Manitoba, Selinger said. 'The more informed and prepared immigrants are before they arrive, the more likely they are to achieve their career goals and contribute to Manitoba's economic growth.' Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger As reported in the news.
@t manitoba government, new immigrants

Calgary Herald Dept: The success of this tournament is thanks to great support from participants and volunteers, and the dedication and organizing abilities of Shannon and Peter Smed, according to Calgary Herald. Husband Peter worked for a number of years with elder brother Mogens in his furniture manufacturing plant but left in 1998 to found Oasis Wellness Centre & Spa. Business-wise, things have gone well and in 2001 they were looking forward to becoming parents. However, in the seventh month of pregnancy, their baby Scott died and Shannon had to deliver him in the hospital. One of the small comforts in their devastating tragedy was a gift of a teddy bear by hospital staff and monday's Scott Smed Invitational golf tournament is in its 10th year helping families who are experiencing the pain of losing a child during infancy or pregnancy. This year, the event is expected to raise $150,000, bringing the total to a remarkable $650,000. Shannon Bowen-Smed is president and CEO of Bowen, a staffing and workforce contracting firm in business here for 25 years. Inducted into the Women's Executive Network Canada's most powerful women, she increased revenues from $6.7 million to more than $35 million over the past 10 years and has a staff of 30 in her Calgary office. As reported in the news.
@t seventh month of pregnancy, calgary office

Plains Of Abraham Dept: In the 31/2 years since Curzi entered the National Assembly, he has suggested that immigrant children shouldn't be allowed to go to Englishlanguage daycare and complained about Sir Paul Mc-Cartney singing in English on the Plains of Abraham, according to Montreal Gazette. And he has raised the possibility of restricting access to health services in English and as an old-school nationalist, Pierre Curzi, the Parti Quebecois critic for language, often has his ceinture flechee in a knot over something. He has also expressed alarm that there are too many people on Montreal Island whose mother tongues are not French, which is like complaining that there are too many people born black, or Jewish, or Muslim, or gay. As reported in the news.
@t parti quebecois, montreal gazette

St Laurent Dept: Voters in the Liberal stronghold of St-Laurent went to the polls, with Fournier claiming the seat left vacant when former public security minister Jacques Dupuis resigned in August, according to CTV. Final results Monday evening showed Fournier won with a strong lead of 64 per cent, with Parti Quebecois candidate Phillipe Leclerc claiming 18 per cent of the vote and justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier has reclaimed the St. Laurent riding for the Liberals in a by-election held Monday. Dupuis represented St-Laurent for the past 12 years. As reported in the news.
@t jacques dupuis, security minister