Filipiniana News - Rhyme or Reason
15 September 2008
Last month, I wrote about the Canadian
Experience Class, and expressed the hope that the benefits from these and other
changes to Canada’s immigration laws are truly well-meant and are not simply
laid out to court people’s votes.
Coincidentally, an election call was
recently made by the government. As we
know by now, the elections will be held on October 14, 2008. This is a day when each and every Canadian
citizen should participate and make their voices heard. Here are a few reasons why going out to
vote on election day is extremely important:
A Citizen’s Right and Privilege
Canadian citizenship law provides that
citizenship can be obtained if one has physically resided in the country for at
least three years within the last four years.
As a result, many recent immigrants could obtain citizenship after only
having lived and familiarized themselves with the Canadian system for three
full years. Admittedly, three years is a
rather short time to be able to fully identify oneself with one’s newly-adopted
country, or to gain a full sense of belonging.
This is even more acute for those who have lived those early years in financial
uncertainty/insecurity. There are also
those who are still unable to cut themselves off from their countries of origin
and would rather be updated on the developments “back home” than inform
themselves of the current political and economic events in Canada where they
now live. As a result, the citizenship
card and certificate are mere pieces of paper for many and are merely used to
obtain the much-coveted Canadian passport to ensure their ability to travel to
their home countries for unlimited periods of time without losing their right
to return to Canada.
I am not advocating a change in Canadian
citizenship law in this regard. What
needs to be changed however, is the way that people interpret the value of
their citizenship.
One of the most important distinctions
between permanent residents and citizens is the right to vote. It is as much of a right as it is a
privilege. More than that, it is also a
civic duty and should therefore not be taken for granted. It is a concrete and wonderful opportunity to
participate in the decision-making process of the country which we have chosen
to call our own.
Environmental Degradation
Global warming, carbon tax plan, the green
shift, etc. These are buzz words which
signify the urgent need to do something about preserving our environment not
only for ourselves but also for future generations. They remind us that we are but stewards of
the earth and should act responsibly instead of wantonly destroying the very
sources of our survival.
If we are to allow the future generations
to continue to enjoy the quality of life that we have been enjoying, we should
pay careful attention to how the environmental issue is being treated by those
who are seeking our votes. The
importance of this very issue is so vital in that if the environment continues
to deteriorate at its present rate, then all other issues will not even matter
as our mother nature and its creatures (including human beings) will eventually
cease to exist.
If the politicians seeking to govern our
country are therefore sweeping this issue under the rug or are prioritizing
corporate profits over environmental sustainability, then we should be very
wary. They are not really promoting our
interests but are simply looking at the short-term benefits of the mighty
dollar and are obviously kowtowing to pressure from those with economic power.
Immigration and Human Rights
It is trite to say that Canada is a country
of immigrants. As such, immigration
objectives and human rights values should lie at the very core of government
laws and decision-making. Immigration
policies and practices which reflect utmost fairness for those seeking
admission, and genuine compassion for
those displaced from their countries of origin by unfortunate circumstances,
should be an absolute priority.
Although it is clear that human rights
values should pervade every aspect of government policy and decision-making,
immigration issues make it even more imperative to pay closer attention to how
these values are actually enforced. A
political party or candidate who simply mouths empty rhetoric without making
concrete proposals for reform or whose track record is clearly inconsistent
with these values, should not get our vote.
Health and Social Welfare
Among the reasons that Canada has become a
desirable place to live is its generous health and social welfare system. However, it is also well-known that the
system has deteriorated over the years.
From a severe shortage of healthcare providers, to huge cuts in
government spending, to frustrating bureaucratic delays – this area of
governance is clearly in urgent need of drastic and effective reforms.
These are but some of the extremely
important general issues which I believe the politicians should clearly address
in this election campaign. There will of
course be other issues, more specific or less contentious, that are equally
calling for attention.
It is therefore vital that we should not
vote solely on the basis of charisma, oratorical skills, grandstanding, empty
promises or worse, petty mudslinging, which sadly pervade election
campaigns. Instead, we should carefully
listen to what these politicians are really saying, probe into their motives
and decide which party or candidate we believe, in good conscience, will work
towards promoting our interests and those of future generations.
The author is a lawyer in Toronto and may be
reached at mdsantos@osgoode.yorku.ca.
Comments
Post a Comment