| SlaveNoMore |
12-03-2004 01:41 PM |
Canadian Ballet
Volpe ends exotic-dancer program:
Blanket visas axed, club owners must now apply each time to import strippers
By MARINA JIMÉNEZ AND CAMPBELL CLARK
TORONTO and OTTAWA -- Ottawa cancelled an easy route into Canada for foreign-born strippers yesterday, effectively killing the controversial so-called exotic-dancer program.
But the move by Human Resources Minister Joe Volpe left the door open for strip club owners to apply on a case-by-case basis to bring in dancers from abroad, if they can convince the government there is a dearth of locals willing to do the job.
A political scandal has dogged Immigration Minister Judy Sgro ever since it came to light that she granted a temporary-resident permit to a Romanian stripper who came to Canada under the program.
Yesterday, Mr. Volpe said it is clear not all Canadians support the program, which last year granted permits to 661 foreign dancers -- 552 of them from Romania.
"I didn't feel in the slightest bit comfortable with the program and I didn't think there was any justification for it," he told reporters. "The category for exotic dancers is no longer there. I gave the department an indication I did not want to be a part of an administration that might have analyzed this particular work, even though it is a legitimate form of work."
Critics of the program have for years detailed cases of foreign strippers being exploited by their agents, made to turn over a percentage of their earnings and pressured to perform sex acts in the clubs. Many women also attempt to marry Canadians in a bid for citizenship.
NDP Leader Jack Layton said he was glad the government would no longer be "pimping for the sex industry."
"We should not have been doing that in the first place," he said.
But others saw the move as purely political, unrelated to a change in labour-market conditions and a sudden availability of Canadians to perform at strip clubs. Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland wants to launch a class-action suit against the government for restricting international mobility of labour.
"It's a morality move," Mr. Kurland said. "It is not justified for economic reasons but certainly fixes a political problem. I am going to consult my colleagues with a view to commencing a class action."
Tim Lambrinos, executive director of the Adult Entertainment Association, said the cancellation of the blanket visa for foreign strippers proves that society is prejudiced against strippers.
"They didn't break any laws. It's a legal profession and if there is a shortage, we need to recruit internationally," he said.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada began issuing labour-market analyses on the industry in 1998, giving prior approval of a labour-market shortage for exotic dancers.
The onus will now shift to employers to prove to HRSDC that there is a labour shortage each time they wish to bring in a foreign stripper on a temporary work permit. They will have to show that they advertised in newspapers, but were unable to recruit locals.
"We are not allowed to advertise on the HRSDC website and some newspapers don't accept our ads either so it can be difficult to prove there is a labour-market shortage through traditional methods, though it's possible," Mr. Lambrinos said.
Mr. Volpe insisted yesterday that he was not making a moral judgment about the industry. "The rationale is that this minister didn't think that the government should do an analysis of those types of jobs, even though they're legitimate jobs." His aides said he began reviewing the program in May.
Mr. Kurland said that even if prospective employers fully comply, he fears their applications will still be rejected. "The political message is crystal clear: to shut down the flow of exotic dancers to Canada. I'm waiting to see whether the government will also move to regulate the domestic dancers."
Mr. Lambrinos said his association has worked with police to clean up the seedier aspects of the business, and has a brochure in five languages advising women of their workplace rights and reminding them that sex is prohibited in clubs.
"This will merely push the industry underground. Isn't it better to have it regulated? You can't outlaw it," he said.
|
