Strippergate was a 2004-2005 political scandal in Canada in which federal immigration ministerJudy Sgro was accused of providing favours to people who helped with her political campaigning during the 2004 Canadian federal election. Sgro was accused of giving favourable immigration processing to Romanian immigrant, stripper, and campaign volunteer Alina Balaican, and Harjit Singh, a campaign donor and pizza shop owner.
Sgro was later partially cleared of wrongdoing by the federal ethics commissioner, although his report highlighted that her staff were aware of the immigration situation of Balaican.
Since 1998, Canada has issued work permits to immigrant-strippers, issuing 660 in 2001.[1] Public awareness of the government's immigration program was low until the events of 2004 brought them into the media's spotlight.[2]
Strippergateedit
In November 2004, controversy began to surround immigration ministerJudy Sgro as questions arose surrounding her activities during the 2004 Canadian federal election. Several members of her ministerial staff had filed expense claims to travel to and work in her riding throughout the campaign ending on election day. More serious claims were also raised when OppositionConservative MPs claimed she had given a special immigration permit to Alina Balaican, a 25-year-old Romania exotic dancer[3] who worked as a campaign volunteer.[4]New Democratic Party member of parliament Pat Martin also accused Sgro's aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized her on the stripper controversy.[5] The press dubbed the issue Strippergate.[4][2]
In December 2004, Sgro defended the actions of her department, stating that they had spent years trying to end the program allowing strippers to gain work permits in Canada, but were prevented by Employment and Social Development Canada.[6] Sgro was criticised further when it emerged that her acting chief of staff Ihor Wons had met with strip club owner and Liberal party donor Terry Koumoudouros and Peter Psihogios of Airport Strip Club at the House of Lancaster strip club to discuss Koumoudouros' struggles supporting eighteen stripers emigrate to Canada from the Dominican Republic.[7]
On January 14, 2005, Sgro resigned from cabinet[8] after further allegations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh, a Brampton pizzeria owner, in exchange for free pizza for her campaign staff.[9] Sgro stating that her motivations to resign were to focus on defending the accusations against her.[10] The following day, the Toronto Star revealed that Singh had previously committed credit card fraud.[11] On January 31, 2005, Sgro filed a lawsuit against Singh for $750,000 in damages.[12] He counter-sued for $1.25 million[13] but later withdrew his claim and appologized, prompting Sgro to also drop her litigation.[14][15] Singh was deported to India on February 2, 2005.[15] His allegations against that Sgro promised him asylum in return for free pizza were described as "wild and unsubstantiated" in Valerie Knowles 2007 book Strangers at Our Gates: Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy, 1504-1990.[16]
Aftermathedit
On May 10, 2005, the Federal ethics commissionerBernard Shapiro partially cleared Sgro of wrongdoing in his report entitled Many Shades of Grey, which concluded that Sgro did not know that two staffers had put her in a position of conflict of interest.[17][18] Sgro was the first member of Cabinet to resign from Paul Martin's government.[2]
By 2004, the number of visas issued to exotic dancers reduced to 423 per year[18] and by 2006 100 were being renewed per annum.[1] Women's rights advocates criticised the Conservativeopposition for using the scandal to score points against the Liberal government, but for not using the situation to reduce the exploration risk for women.[18] As of 2023, Sgro had not returned to cabinet.[15] Harjit Singh returned to Canada in 2019.[15]
^ ab"Strip clubs to look for dancers in Toronto schools". torontosun. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^ abcMcIlroy, Anne (2005-01-24). "Slice of controversy". the Guardian. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^"Stripper Sgro aided calls her 'a good, kind woman'". CBC. 24 Nov 2004.
^ ab"Immigration minister under fire for 'Strippergate'". CBC. 22 Nov 2004.
^Fife, Robert (December 27, 2004). "Sgro aide tried to silence critics by withholding permits, MPs allege". Ottawa Citizen. p. A9.
^Jiménez, Marina (2004-12-04). "Sgro defends department against 'strippergate'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^Jiménez, Marina (2004-12-03). "Sgro's chief of staff takes leave". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^Mutimer, David. (2011). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs, 2005. United Kingdom: University of Toronto Press.
^. CTV News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2007.
^"Immigration minister resigns". CBC. 14 Jan 2005.
^"Sgro's accuser trying to avoid deportation". CTV News. January 15, 2005. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
^Sean, Gordon (February 1, 2005). "Sgro sues Singh for slander, libel; 3 others named in $750,000 lawsuit: Accusations led to minister resigning". Toronto Star. p. A6.
^Jiménez, Marina (2005-02-23). "Pizzeria owner countersues Sgro". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^"2005: "Pizza man is deported to India." 2019: "Deported pizza man is back"". Indo-Canadian Voice. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^ abcdTom Blackwell, Deported Pizza Man is Back, 21 February 2019, Ottawa Citizen
^Knowles, Valerie. (2007). Strangers at Our Gates: Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy, 1504-1990. Ukraine: Dundurn. p249
^"Staff errors were inadvertent, says Sgro". CBC. 21 June 2005.
^ abc"Stripper bill may make things worse: critics". CTV News. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
April 12, 2024
strippergate, canada, strippergate, 2004, 2005, political, scandal, canada, which, federal, immigration, minister, judy, sgro, accused, providing, favours, people, helped, with, political, campaigning, during, 2004, canadian, federal, election, sgro, accused, . Strippergate was a 2004 2005 political scandal in Canada in which federal immigration minister Judy Sgro was accused of providing favours to people who helped with her political campaigning during the 2004 Canadian federal election Sgro was accused of giving favourable immigration processing to Romanian immigrant stripper and campaign volunteer Alina Balaican and Harjit Singh a campaign donor and pizza shop owner StrippergatePart of 2004 Canadian federal election campaignSgro in 2010DateNovember 2004 January 2005LocationGreater Toronto AreaAccusedJudy SgroChargesConflict of interestVerdictNo willfull wrongdoingSgro was later partially cleared of wrongdoing by the federal ethics commissioner although his report highlighted that her staff were aware of the immigration situation of Balaican Contents 1 Background 2 Strippergate 3 Aftermath 4 See also 5 ReferencesBackground editSince 1998 Canada has issued work permits to immigrant strippers issuing 660 in 2001 1 Public awareness of the government s immigration program was low until the events of 2004 brought them into the media s spotlight 2 Strippergate editIn November 2004 controversy began to surround immigration minister Judy Sgro as questions arose surrounding her activities during the 2004 Canadian federal election Several members of her ministerial staff had filed expense claims to travel to and work in her riding throughout the campaign ending on election day More serious claims were also raised when Opposition Conservative MPs claimed she had given a special immigration permit to Alina Balaican a 25 year old Romania exotic dancer 3 who worked as a campaign volunteer 4 New Democratic Party member of parliament Pat Martin also accused Sgro s aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized her on the stripper controversy 5 The press dubbed the issue Strippergate 4 2 In December 2004 Sgro defended the actions of her department stating that they had spent years trying to end the program allowing strippers to gain work permits in Canada but were prevented by Employment and Social Development Canada 6 Sgro was criticised further when it emerged that her acting chief of staff Ihor Wons had met with strip club owner and Liberal party donor Terry Koumoudouros and Peter Psihogios of Airport Strip Club at the House of Lancaster strip club to discuss Koumoudouros struggles supporting eighteen stripers emigrate to Canada from the Dominican Republic 7 On January 14 2005 Sgro resigned from cabinet 8 after further allegations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh a Brampton pizzeria owner in exchange for free pizza for her campaign staff 9 Sgro stating that her motivations to resign were to focus on defending the accusations against her 10 The following day the Toronto Star revealed that Singh had previously committed credit card fraud 11 On January 31 2005 Sgro filed a lawsuit against Singh for 750 000 in damages 12 He counter sued for 1 25 million 13 but later withdrew his claim and appologized prompting Sgro to also drop her litigation 14 15 Singh was deported to India on February 2 2005 15 His allegations against that Sgro promised him asylum in return for free pizza were described as wild and unsubstantiated in Valerie Knowles 2007 book Strangers at Our Gates Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy 1504 1990 16 Aftermath editOn May 10 2005 the Federal ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro partially cleared Sgro of wrongdoing in his report entitled Many Shades of Grey which concluded that Sgro did not know that two staffers had put her in a position of conflict of interest 17 18 Sgro was the first member of Cabinet to resign from Paul Martin s government 2 By 2004 the number of visas issued to exotic dancers reduced to 423 per year 18 and by 2006 100 were being renewed per annum 1 Women s rights advocates criticised the Conservative opposition for using the scandal to score points against the Liberal government but for not using the situation to reduce the exploration risk for women 18 As of 2023 Sgro had not returned to cabinet 15 Harjit Singh returned to Canada in 2019 15 See also edit nbsp Sex work portal nbsp Politics portal nbsp Canada portalList of political scandals in CanadaList of gate scandals and controversiesImmigration to Canada Strippergate Seattle Strippergate Israel Strippergate San Diego References edit a b Strip clubs to look for dancers in Toronto schools torontosun Retrieved 2023 01 11 a b c McIlroy Anne 2005 01 24 Slice of controversy the Guardian Retrieved 2023 01 11 Stripper Sgro aided calls her a good kind woman CBC 24 Nov 2004 a b Immigration minister under fire for Strippergate CBC 22 Nov 2004 Fife Robert December 27 2004 Sgro aide tried to silence critics by withholding permits MPs allege Ottawa Citizen p A9 Jimenez Marina 2004 12 04 Sgro defends department against strippergate The Globe and Mail Retrieved 2023 01 11 Jimenez Marina 2004 12 03 Sgro s chief of staff takes leave The Globe and Mail Retrieved 2023 01 11 Mutimer David 2011 Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs 2005 United Kingdom University of Toronto Press Sgro quits cabinet to fight allegations CTV News Archived from the original on March 22 2007 Immigration minister resigns CBC 14 Jan 2005 Sgro s accuser trying to avoid deportation CTV News January 15 2005 Archived from the original on July 21 2012 Sean Gordon February 1 2005 Sgro sues Singh for slander libel 3 others named in 750 000 lawsuit Accusations led to minister resigning Toronto Star p A6 Jimenez Marina 2005 02 23 Pizzeria owner countersues Sgro The Globe and Mail Retrieved 2023 01 11 2005 Pizza man is deported to India 2019 Deported pizza man is back Indo Canadian Voice 2019 02 21 Retrieved 2023 01 11 a b c d Tom Blackwell Deported Pizza Man is Back 21 February 2019 Ottawa Citizen Knowles Valerie 2007 Strangers at Our Gates Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy 1504 1990 Ukraine Dundurn p249 Staff errors were inadvertent says Sgro CBC 21 June 2005 a b c Stripper bill may make things worse critics CTV News 16 May 2007 Retrieved 2023 01 11 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Strippergate Canada amp oldid 1195937652, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
