This program exists in every province in Canada. Basically it amounts to selling Canadian passports. How did this become a good idea?

Is it administered the same in each province?

Wow... Un-be-$%$**&%-believeable.

C'mon, Hans, didn't you read Jay's post about how immigrants are bad and we should stop letting Them come because they cost us so much money? SELL THOSE PASSPORTS. It's the only way to keep the rabble* out.

*And by rabble I mean people like my grandparents, and possibly Jay's, who came here broke and worked their way to middle-class success, had children, paid taxes, and joined the Lions. HORRIBLE PEOPLE. Or my friend's new husband, who had no post-secondary education and was on the dole for years in England and moved here and got a menial job and he worked so hard they moved him into management. RABBLE.

I'm sorry, where'd I go just then? Right. Stealing money from immigrants scandal = shameful, indeed.

Alan: in one way, our citizenship is worth exactly what we paid for it. In another, it's worth what we put into it. But it shouldn't be for sale.

I've never agreed with the points system that lets in rich, preferentially white and English-speaking people. We have enough of those already! It's one thing to make sure immigrants have skills and abilities, another thing to demand full bank accounts, particularly since most of people in the world doesn't have those, and that's why they want to come here - to work hard, to prosper. Don't we want those sorts of people? Rhetorical question...

These people may have had full bank accounts but it appears $45,000 each was lifted for processing purposes unless I am reading this wrong.

Yep, "processing," right, sure. I agree: they're selling citizenship. My point is also that this, while shameful, isn't all that much different from having to despoit $500,000 with the government to use for, what, five years? under the old rules.

Al, I don't know how it is administered in other jurisdictions but no doubt potential for exploitation exists in all the jurisdictions. I think that former MP from BC (Grewal?) came to Canada this way and I think his business when he was here was as a broker of this kind. I also remember reading about some Ontario woman who was connected to a disgraced Pakistani cabinet minister whose business was an immigration consultant but involved this kind of program. I would agree with Renee to the extent that skills and abilities should count the most in processing immigrants.

Renee, I actually agree with Jay on some but certainly not all of his thoughts on immigration. [sound of me ducking]

"Al, I don't know how it is administered in other jurisdictions but no doubt potential for exploitation exists in all the jurisdictions."

Hans - there is potential for bad everywhere. It's news when bad occurs. Where did the figure of $45,000 come from?

At least my family ended up here the hunourable way.. On a rowboat, likely tarred and feathered, after being found guilty as British Spies!!!

I agree with the points system so long as it is frequently reviewed and modified as needed to meet our future projected needs as a nation. And yes, unless you are a refugee, I think you should be required a sponsor, a job and a certain amount of cash (I'm talking 6 months rent and food money, not bazillions).

We have enough telemarketers who do not have a basic grasp of either of our official languages.

You know guys, it worries me when no-one calls me a name after one of my knee jerk comments are posted.

Splitter!

No idea where the $45,000 figure comes from.