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September 24, 2007
Too much
It takes a lot to amaze me in Canadian politics, to make me step back and say, "Wow, that's an even stupider, more insulting, more disheartening display than usual." The veiled voter fiasco was all that and more. But this press release from MPs Wrzesnewskyj, Dosanjh, Alghabra and Wilfert is up there too:
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2007
Conservatives Force “Visa” Curtain on Eastern EU Nations
OTTAWA ― The Conservative government must treat all members of the European Union (E.U.) equally and lift visitor visa requirements for its eight new member states, Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Etobicoke Centre), Foreign Affairs Critic Ujjal Dosanjh, Citizenship and Immigration Critic Omar Alghabra, and Bryon Wilfert, Chair of the Liberal Caucus Committee on Canada and the World, demanded today.
“The iron curtain fell almost twenty years ago. Unfortunately, new E.U. states from Central and Eastern Europe still face a ‘visa’ curtain,” said Mr. Wrzesnewskyj. “The new E.U. states are free-market democracies that have all dropped visa requirements for Canadian visitors. Why hasn’t Canada done the right thing and reciprocated?”
Last week, the Commission of the European Communities issued a report critical of the Canadian government’s delay in lifting the visa requirements for EU countries in Eastern Europe. Canada, the United States and Australia are three of 15 countries cited in the report. The Commission urges Canada to show progress by lifting the visa requirements for one or two member states by the end of this year, suggesting that, failing such progress, “appropriate measures could be proposed.”
Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic (all of which joined the EU in 2004) have signed and implemented the Schengen Agreement with other European Union countries. Bulgaria and Romania (who joined in 2007) will soon be fully compliant as well. The Schengen Agreement provides for a common policy on the temporary entry of persons, the harmonisation of external border controls and cross-border police co-operation.
“The standards set out in the Schengen Agreement are good enough for us to allow entry to Canada without a visa from countries like France and Germany,” said Mr. Dosanjh. “Why are the same standards not good enough for the countries of Eastern Europe?”
“Maintaining these obsolete visa restrictions on a democratic country like Poland, a nation that has rapidly and with great success, created a free market economy and is our ally in NATO, does little to boost Canada’s international interests or reputation,” said Mr. Wilfert. “How does this inflexible position help Canada’s relationship with the EU? Mr. Harper already caused considerable damage to that relationship when he refused to attend a planned Canada-EU summit in November 2006 because he feared that the Europeans would criticize his climate change policy.”Mr. Alghabra agreed, saying: "Once again, Mr. Harper demonstrates his disregard for Canada’s important relationship with the E.U., and in so doing, continues to make it difficult for Central and Eastern European visitors from the E.U. to visit their relatives in Canada."
Like, wow man. I realize the current government has to take responsibility for all the policies it inherits from the old one, but I don't think that officially requires the old government to peacock around calling attention to its own deficiencies.
"Why hasn’t Canada done the right thing and reciprocated?"
I can think of at least four Liberal MPs - names of Sgro, Volpe, Coderre and Robillard - who could provide them with an answer. Or they could read my contribution at Macleans.ca on the subject.
Posted by Chris Selley at September 24, 2007 09:22 PM
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