http://www.canada.com/news/Citizenship+gu
ide+says+barbaric+cultural+practices/22148
68/story.html
MPs trade barbs over Italian-Canadian war
internment
By Randy Boswell, Canwest News ServiceNovember 26, 2009


Story
Photos ( 1 )
During a heritage committee meeting
Thursday, Citizenship and Immigration
Minister Jason Kenney rejected a Quebec
Liberal MP’s private member bill urging a
formal apology, financial redress and a
special postage stamp commemorating the
internment of Italian-Canadian citizens
during the 1939-45 war.
Photograph by: Blair Gable, Reuters
OTTAWA — Sharply worded accusations of Conservative racial discrimination and Liberal
elitism were exchanged Thursday by MPs examining a contentious proposal to have the federal
government formally apologize and grant redress to the Italian-Canadian community for the
internment of hundreds of its members during the Second World War.
The fractious meeting of the House of Commons heritage committee followed a similarly stormy
hearing last week during which Conservative and Bloc MPs traded barbs over whether
Quebecers summarily arrested during the 1970 FLQ crisis were comparable to Italian-Canadian
citizens sent to prison camps in the 1940s.
During Thursday's meeting, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney rejected a
Quebec Liberal MP's private member bill urging a formal apology, financial redress and a
special postage stamp commemorating the internment of Italian-Canadian citizens during the
1939-45 war.
Kenney argued that former Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney had already issued a
public apology in 1990 and that the current Conservative government recently created a $5million education fund to commemorate the internment.
But Liberal MP Maria Minna — a prominent member of Toronto's Italian-Canadian community
— accused Kenney of a racial double-standard when it comes to offering formal apologies to
Canadian ethnocultural groups with historical grievances.
She noted that in June 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons to
apologize to Chinese-Canadians for a discriminatory head tax and exclusionary immigration
policy from the early 20th century.
By contrast, she said, Mulroney's 1990 apology to Italian-Canadians was given during a
luncheon speech in Toronto.
"The day you did the apology with the Chinese-Canadians I was glad," said Minna. "But I also
cried, because my community — I personally, even now, feel offended and incensed — that you
can sit there and tell me that for the Italian-Canadian community it's sufficient for someone to
say 'I'm sorry' in a banquet hall, that it does not deserve to say 'I'm sorry' in the Parliament of
Canada."
Kenney pointed out that neither former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien nor his successor,
Paul Martin, had offered a parliamentary apology to the Italian-Canadian community.
"They (Chretien and Martin) at least apologized to no one — (though) I disagreed with them,"
responded Minna. "But you obviously have a preference as to who in this country deserves this
government's apology."
Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro accused Minna and other opposition MPs of having an
"elitist attitude" and of trying to divide Italian-Canadians by criticizing some community
representatives who have agreed to help administer the Conservative-created education fund.
"I think it's regrettable that people are attacking the integrity of individuals who've stepped
forward voluntarily," agreed Kenney, who suggested opposition MPs are trying to use the issue
for partisan purposes.
The program has created friction among Canadians of Italian descent because it does not offer a
parliamentary apology for the internment and falls short of a proposed $12.5-million
compensation package that was being negotiated with the previous Liberal government before
the Conservative election victory in 2006.
Earlier this year, Quebec Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti introduced a private member's bill calling
for a parliamentary apology, more substantial restitution and the special postage stamp.
More than 700 Italian-Canadian citizens are believed to have been sent to the Petawawa prison
camp near Ottawa during the Second World War. They were made to work on farms, build roads
and perform other labour under a national policy for "enemy aliens" that also targeted Canadians
of Japanese, Ukrainian and German descent during the two world wars.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Bloc MP equates Italian internment with
FLQ arrests
By Randy Boswell, Canwest News ServiceNovember 19, 2009


Story
Photos ( 1 )
Dean Del Mastro
Photograph by: Handout, Conservative Party of Canada
OTTAWA — A controversial proposal to issue an apology and compensate Italian-Canadian
citizens interned during the Second World War sparked a fiery exchange at the House of
Commons on Thursday after a Bloc Quebecois MP compared wartime internment to the
treatment of FLQ suspects in 1970.
The Commons heritage committee was hearing testimony from Italian-Canadian organizations
about a private member's bill proposing restitution for interned citizens when Bloc MP Roger
Pomerleau expressed support for the idea "because the same types of injustices were committed
against French Quebecers" during the FLQ crisis in October 1970.
"Four hundred Quebecers were arrested. They were never charged. They were never brought to
justice," said Pomerleau, the MP for Drummond. "They were jailed for political reasons."
The comments prompted a sharp response from Italian-Canadian MP Dean Del Mastro, the
Conservative member for Peterborough, Ont.
"There is no similarity there," Del Mastro stated, noting that Italian Canadians interned in 1940
"were just everyday people going about their lives" when they were "pulled off the street. They
hadn't done anything and were labelled enemy aliens."
The debate about compensating them, he insisted, has "nothing to do with the FLQ."
Pomerleau shot back: "It's identical."
"It's outrageous to equate them," Del Mastro insisted.
The past mistreatment of various ethnic groups — particularly during the two world wars —
prompted the Conservative government to launch its Community Historical Recognition
Program in 2008, including a $5-million education fund to commemorate the internment of
Italian-Canadians during the 1939-45 war.
"The internment of Italian Canadians is an important historical event that deserves recognition,"
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, then multiculturalism minister, said at the
time. "I believe this approach provides the Italian-Canadian community with the opportunity for
recognition and education activities to ensure the internment experience is understood."
But the program has created some friction among Canadians of Italian descent because it does
not offer a parliamentary apology for the internment and falls short of a proposed $12.5 million
compensation package that was being negotiated with the previous Liberal government before
the Conservative election victory in 2006.
More than 700 Italian-Canadian citizens are believed to have been sent to the Petawawa prison
camp near Ottawa during the Second World War. They were made to work on farms, build roads
and perform other labour under a national policy for "enemy aliens" that also targeted Canadians
of Japanese, Ukrainian and German descent.
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney apologized to the Italian-Canadian community on behalf
of the government during a speech 1990.
But some groups have continued pushing for a formal apology in the House of Commons and
more substantial restitution than that offered under the new Conservatives' historical recognition
program.
Earlier this year, Quebec Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti introduced a private member's bill calling
for a formal apology, restitution and a postage stamp commemorating the internment.
At Thursday's committee hearing, Canada Post senior vice-president Robert Waite warned MPs
that the bill's proposal to have the government order a commemorative stamp would be "highly
unprecedented," compromise the national stamp advisory committee's independence and create a
potential flood of requests from other aggrieved groups.
While a group of Italian-Canadian business representatives expressed support Thursday for the
key provisions of the bill, Del Mastro attacked it as a Liberal attempt to undermine the
Conservatives' program and to "fracture" Canada's Italian-Canadian community for partisan
reasons.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Citizenship guide says no to 'barbaric'
cultural practices
By Laura Stone, Canwest News ServiceNovember 12, 2009



Story
Photos ( 2 )
Video ( 1 )
More Images »
A new Canadian holds a flag as they attend a
citizenship ceremony during Canada Day
celebrations at Prince's Island on July 1,
2009.
Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald
OTTAWA — A new citizenship guide for potential immigrants to Canada flatly declares that
new Canadians cannot engage in "barbaric" cultural practices such as genital mutilation and
"honour killings."
The new guide, released Thursday by Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and
Multiculturalism, says in a section called "Equality of Women and Men" that such practices are
illegal and severely punishable under Canada's criminal laws.
"Multiculturalism doesn't mean that anything goes. Multiculturalism means that we celebrate
what's best about our backgrounds, but we do so on the basis of common Canadian values and
respect for our laws," said Kenney.
"It's no secret that we've seen instances of culturally rooted abuse of women, so-called 'honour
killings,' forced marriages, and spousal abuse, and even female genital mutilation. We want to
make sure that people understand that multiculturalism doesn't create an excuse to engage in
those barbaric cultural practices."
The updated guide, called Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, also
puts greater emphasis on the obligations of citizenship, such as getting a job, as well as military
history.
Kenney said it is a significant improvement from the 1997 Liberal version.
"When you become a citizen, you're not just getting a travel document into hotel Canada," said
Kenney. "You are inheriting a set of responsibilities, of obligations, as a citizen. And we will
expect you to fulfil certain responsibilities, as a citizen. And I think to a certain extent that wasn't
sufficiently emphasized in the old guide."
Discover Canada also delves into Canada's historical — and sometimes controversial — past,
through mention of the Hudson's Bay Company's trading rights, the War of 1812, the Rebellions
of 1837-38, Confederation, Louis Riel's armed uprisings, the Quiet Revolution and Quebec
sovereignty. The guide goes on to expound on the world wars, including an explanation of
Remembrance Day and the poppy, all of which is prefaced at the beginning of the guide in a
section called Defending Canada.
"There is no compulsory military service in Canada. However, serving in the regular Canadian
Forces (navy, army, and air force) is a noble way to contribute to Canada and make an excellent
career choice," reads the guide.
Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Montreal-based think-tank Association for Canadian
Studies, says the new citizenship document represents a clear victory for the "well intentioned"
proponents of Canada's military history, who have long argued that the country's pivotal
participation in the two world wars should occupy a more central place in our national identity.
But he says a recent Canada-wide survey by ACS highlights the limits of touting Canada's
achievements in the First World War and Second World War as a way to strengthen citizens'
sense of belonging in a country with such diverse experiences of those epic conflicts.
Asked to choose the most significant event in Canada's history from a list of 10 "defining
moments" that shaped the country's character, about 20 per cent of English-speaking respondents
named the wars — second only to Confederation itself (28 per cent).
The Bloc Quebecois believes the new citizenship guide marginalizes Quebec's status as a nation,
and the role of French-Canadians as one of two founding groups of Confederation and the British
North American Act in 1867.
The new guide describes Canada's three founding peoples as Aboriginal, French and British —
while historically it's generally been only the latter two.
Bloc citizenship and immigration critic Thierry St-Cyr believes it's important to acknowledge the
contributions of First Nations in Canada's history, but said the guide is rewriting that role.
St-Cyr was also critical of the guide for touting the benefits of the monarchy and suggestions that
the Queen is a "symbol of Canadian sovereignty" who plays an important role in encouraging
Canadians "to give their best to their country." He said it should instead explain more about the
political realities of Quebec and what makes it distinct.
The government is printing 500,000 copies of the 62-page guide.
Highlights from "Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship"
- On rights and responsibilities: "Canadians have rights and responsibilities. These come to us
from our history, are secured by Canadian law, and reflect our shared traditions, identity, and
values."
- On who we are: "To understand what it means to be Canadian, it is important to know about
our three founding peoples — Aboriginal, French, and British."
- On religion: "The great majority of Canadians identify as Christians. The largest religious
affiliation is Roman Catholic, followed by various Protestant churches. The number of Muslims,
Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and members of other religions, as well as atheists, are also growing."
- On Quebec: "The movement for Quebec sovereignty gained strength but was defeated in the
province in 1980 and 1995. The autonomy of Quebec within Canada remains a lively topic —
part of the dynamic that continues to shape our country."
- On Aboriginal Peoples: "From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many
Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream
Canadian culture. The schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship on the students; some
students were physically abused."
- On arts and culture: "Artists from all regions reflect and define our culture and forms of
creative expression and have achieved greatness both at home and abroad."
- On great Canadians: "Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie — Co-founders of Research in Motion
(RIM), a wireless communications company known for its most famous invention — the
BlackBerry."
- On the Queen: "The Sovereign is part of Parliament, playing an important, non-partisan role as
the focus of citizenship and allegiance, symbol of Canadian sovereignty, guardian of
Constitutional freedoms, reflection of our history and an encouragement for Canadians to give
their best to their country, most visibly during Royal visits to Canada."
With files from Mike De Souza and Randy Boswell
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service