T
The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, October 14, 1993-Page 5
[Cont'd, from page 3]
Drabkin blames Chretien, as justice minister during the formulation of the Constitution in 1982, for the inclusion of the riotwithstahding clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and charges that 3ie Liberal leader continues to be indifferent to Quebec anglophone concerns.
"A rights charter with a notwithstanding clause is not worth the paper it is written on and as an MP, I will speak out loudly and clearly on behalf of the anglophone minority."
As Liberal critic for culture and communications, Finestone says she has spoken out "vigorously" against Bill 178 and in defence of the rights of all Canadians to use either official language.
She quickly dismisses Drabkin's charges that she has not spoken out enough on behalf of anglos. She says Bill 86, which relaxes the ban on the use of English on commercial signs; is a "step forward."
"the goodwill of [the Quebec government] is starting to show and that is based on economic realities aind the realization that non-francophones must be given a sense of belonging."
Jobs and the economy, she thinks, are for rnore pressing issues in Mount Royal than language.
She says shfe is also "totally against the notwithstanding clause," but is firmly against reopening the constitutional debate at this time, as is Drabkin.
Werbowski thinks a strong central
government is what is needed to promote a policy of bilingualism, and that includes promoting English in Quebec. He thinks strong federal action is needed to istem the "exodus" of young ah-glophones from Quebec and to bolster the "lamentable" state of English culture in the province today ■
As for constitutional reform, Werbowski says "give it the kaddish,.it's a dead issue.
Law thinks the federal government should have exercised its power to disallow Bill 178 and the new Bill 86, which he also sees as repressive.
There are few philosophical differences between Finestone and Drabkin on such issues as multiculturalism, immigration, racism and Nazi war criminals. But Finestone is opposed to Campbell's cabinet reorganization which groups multiculturalism with immigration and public security in one "heritage department."
Multiculturalism would have itsown post in a Liberal cabinet, she said.
Canada's laws on hate propaganda should be strengthened, but more could also be done in the way of public education to combat racism. Such amendments need not necessarily infringe on the freedom of speech enshrined in the Charter because "rights come with ob^ ligations too." She believes that telephone and fax hate messages "have to be stopped."
Canada could be doing a better job of integrating immigrants, and the refugee determination process "stinks," in_ her words. She likes the idea of match-' ing recent immigrants, especially those, who come from undemocratic coiin-tries, with "receiving" communities or
s a
[Cont'd, from page 4]
Reform hopeful Chaplin, 49, insists he does give a damn — about parliamientary reform, serious debt reduction and putting an erid towhat he calls the"old boys' club" in Ottawa.
There' s no difference between the Tories and Liberals, he contends, and he's "just disgusted with what's happening to Canada."
A retired IBM employee, Chaplin says both major federal parties have "abandoned" their constituents by always toeing party lines and that voters have a "justified" mistrust of their MPs.
MPs should always vote the way
their.constituents want them to, he
■;says. ■.
"Canada requires a complete mental change. There's a complete lack of honor in the system. It is still based on an 1867 model, when there were [politicians] of honor."
Chaplin admits that while supremacists have in the past infiltrated Reform because "we're a grassroots party, where policy comes from the bottom up. The feeling was that if. they [white supremacists] could get in, it would make them legitimate. But they were all found and kicked out:"
Chaplin says accusations of racism arid anti-Semitism that have dogged
Reform still linger. "But we're the least racist of all the parties/' he adds. * 'The [principle] of two founding peoples [in Canada] is racist."
Chaplin cites "a long cbrrespon-. derice" between Reform leader Preston Manning and the Jewish community, in which the party has attempted to reach out to Jews and assure them it presents no danger.
or
NDP candidate Jacobs, 41, says he's running to keep social democratic values alive at the federal level.
The Tories "have had the opportunity to do something about the deficit and jobs, and they've done nothing," says the Cardiff-born Jacobs, who came to Canada when he was 16. His law practice concentrates on representing unions, in addition to human rights, civil and criminal law.
Jobs, high taxes and the debt are on voters' minds, he finds. .
The NDP is committed to strengthening multiculturalism and he finds
it "offensive'- that the Tories plan to transfer the multiculturalism portfolio to a ministry called Canadian Heritage.
Jacobs thinks the portfolio "should stand on its own"" and that there should be a cabinet conunittee to combat racial hatred in Canada and commit to '' zero tolerance*' for racism and anti-Semitism.
He finds it' 'appalling" that Prime Miniister Kim Campbell is "soft pedalling" war crimes prosecutions because she set a date of March 1994 as a deadline for gathering evidence agains the government's top cases.
' 'This is the worst time to go soft on war crimes. With growing Holocaust denial, it's all-important to proceed."
A board member of Canadian Friends for Peace Now, Jacobs says Canada "should be doing everything it can" to further the Mideast peace process.
Jacob^ says he's ''not opposed" to free trade but he finds NAFTA is protectionist because it ties Canada too closely to the United States, whose economy.he feels is declining.
Rounding out the crowded field in St. Paul's are Jim Conrad, who's running as an independent; David Ger-shuny for the Marxist-Leninist Party; Mario Godlewski, National party; Jim Harris, Green Party; Marian Joyce, Abolitionist Party; RickSten-house, Libertarian Party; Mike Twose, Commonwealth Party and Rick Weberg, Natural Law Party.
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families who can help them adjust to Canadian life; And refugee selection could be improved by appointing people with a better knowledge of different world cultures to refugee determination boards.
"Canada desperately needs immigrants because of its low birth rate . . Immigrants should be regarded as building, not stumbling, blocks," Finestone says.
Setting a March 1994 deadline for completion of current investigations of suspected Nazi war criniinals in Canada is not realistic, Finestone said. She believes the RCMP team should be kept in place, not only to continue to pursue Nazis, but also to look into more recent alleged war crimes around the world.
Drabkin calls the 1988 Multiculturalism Act introduced by Weiner "a model for the world" and insists that, despite Kim Campbell's restructuring of her cabinet, the "multiculturalism program remains intact."
Drabkin views the "emergence of neo-Nazi groups in Canada as a very serious issue" and points to a number of efforts he made, while working for Multicultiiralism Minister Geny Weiner, to stem the flow of racist ideas into Canada. He takes a large part of the credit for preventing British Holocaust revisionist Dayid Irving from reentering Canada.
He believes the government should enter into "partnerships with institutions and community groups" to combat racism.
"The MP for Mount Royal, with its large Jewish makeup, must be prepared to speak out and initiate ideas to deal
with this issue."
When talking about immigration, Drabkin can't resist bringing up the record of the Liberal government of Mackenzie King during Worid War II. "The days of turning away a boatful of Jews are over," he says, pointing to the 250,000 immigrants Coming to Canada annually.
He thinks Bill C-86, the amendment to the Immigration Act put into effect this year, is alreadly helping to ensure that only those with credible claims bother to apply for reftigee status.
Drabkin interprets the March. 1994 deadline for current investigations of Nazi war criminals as an indication of Campbell's desire to see the investigations speeded up, given the fact that witnesses are already aged.
Beyond that Drabkin — who claims a personal role in the deportation and eventual conviction in Holland of Jacob Luitjens — has only praise for the Con^ servative government's record on Nazi war criminals. He points out that, after years of inaction by successive Liberal governments, including when Chretien was justice minister, Mul-roney set up the Descheries commission just one year after he was first elected.
Drabkin goes fiirther by saying he "seriously questions the commitment of the Liberal party and Chretien in particular to eradicating racism and anti-Semitism when one of his 'star' candidates is Camil Samson...
"The fact that he iS allowing Samson to stand as a candidate is disgraceful and an insult to the Jewish community."
The NDP's Werbowski deariy dis-
Royal
agrees with Finestone and Drabkin oh multiculturalism. "The whole policy is a farce, a W^te^ftaxpayers' money," says the PoliWijom candidate, "What we need is a strong sense of Canadian identity, not hyphenated Canadians."
He proposes the establishment of a ministry of Canadian culture.
He is also a little skeptical about racism "suddenly appearing on the agenda," when it has dways existed. In the long run, he thinks the best way to create a tolerant society is to have a Parliament that reflects the diversity of the country.
Wertowski also said Canada has no "coherent'' immigration policy and is shutting out many qualified people. The current policy is "deeply flawed" and should be addressed immediately after the election, he said.
The failure to weed out Nazi war criminals in the past provides a lesson for the future, and that is that Canada should improve its security and intelligence resources today.
Law said the National Party is strongly in favor of multiclilturalism arid should beef up its anti-hate law. He said he has personally witnessed an instance of racism by the Montreal police force against a black man.
He calls immigration "the lifeblood" of Canada, but feels we should be vigilant against phony reftigee claims such as those by people who arrive on tourist visas. '
"Immigrants who have waited three Or four years to get their papers resent these people jumping the gun.''
Law is in favor of cbntinuing to prosecute Nazi; war criminals when possible.
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