It害羞草研究所檚 the dead of summer. B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Green-NDP government is taking a break from dressing the province害羞草研究所檚 economy in worn-out bell bottoms. No trucks loaded with big steel pipe are rolling yet. Even the hardened actors of our many summer tent camps are taking a break from disrupting our energy and housing policy.
The federal government has assured us there is no refugee crisis in Canada, while hastily shuffling the cabinet to create a new department of homeland security, er, Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction.
Migrants are pouring across the border from the U.S., mostly at a single rural road crossing from upstate New York into Quebec. They come in taxis, roller suitcases trailing them.
Ottawa has responded with an RCMP reception centre, welfare and hotel rooms, to welcome people clearly briefed on how to cut the legitimate refugee application lineup.
National media don害羞草研究所檛 explore the obvious human trafficking angle. Instead they quibble about whether the migrants should be called 害羞草研究所渋llegal害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渋rregular,害羞草研究所� and note with approval that 1,200 crossings in June is fewer than the 2,200 who somehow happened to arrive in May. By that point there were 30,000 awaiting hearings.
B.C. media reported with approval a new policy quietly announced by the Vancouver Police. It害羞草研究所檚 a 害羞草研究所渄raft害羞草研究所� policy that害羞草研究所檚 already in effect, in which officers don害羞草研究所檛 ask about the immigration status of witnesses, complainants or victims. City hall came up with this a couple of years ago, and stats show virtually no contact between VPD and immigration authorities since.
It害羞草研究所檚 called 害羞草研究所渁ccess without fear害羞草研究所� (of deportation). In effect, Vancouver has declared itself a sovereign state and declined to observe federal immigration law, such as it is. Call it Stealth Sanctuary City.
Victoria is likely on the same path. This being a municipal election year, their preferred distractions include pushing Sir John A. Macdonald into the closet and cracking down on plastic bags.
The ban on point-of-sale bags hasn害羞草研究所檛 spread as quickly as I predicted in January. It害羞草研究所檚 in effect here in Victoria, but not all of the dozen suburbs have fallen into line.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e still got a few left,害羞草研究所� one store clerk whispered to me as she pulled out a thin rack of plastic bags and slipped one over my awkwardly shaped purchase. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e always used the biodegradable ones, so I害羞草研究所檓 not sure what the problem was.害羞草研究所�
Plastic straw mythology has taken over. We have a federal environment minister incorrectly claiming that restaurants have banned the dreaded straws, and praising kids for using a steel straw that looks like a Ninja murder weapon. This as municipal politicians try to implement provincial environment policy, or at least attract attention by pretending to do so.
Corporations run to the front of the parade to declare plastic straws a biohazard. As with the bag boondoggle, inferior and more greenhouse gas-intensive paper is substituted. This is what rudderless government looks like.
As of July there had been about 450 害羞草研究所渋rregular害羞草研究所� migrant crossings into B.C. so far this year, people sneaking in using a loophole in Canada害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渟afe third country害羞草研究所� agreement with the U.S.
That doesn害羞草研究所檛 sound like a lot, but we should remember B.C.害羞草研究所檚 tradition of being the destination of choice for migration within Canada. That can be measured by the tent camps along major highways.
Local politicians seem determined to pretend the 害羞草研究所渉omeless害羞草研究所� are all local, as they discourage any effort to measure the reality of migration. They害羞草研究所檇 rather regulate the easier things, like plastic bags and drinking straws.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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