PEI

PEI immigration program critic pens controversial book

Topics: 
PEI, Corruption, Immigration
Rating: 
4
Rob McEachern

Teresa Wright – December 18, 2012

A businessman who has been a vocal critic of the Ghiz government’s handling of the Provincial Nominee Program has written a book.

Entitled “Red Like Me, How P.E.I. Liberals Stole 500 Million Dollars from Canada,” Rob McEachern details his own dealings with the program and his perspective of the way the PNP was run. He admits it is a controversial book and makes no apologies for its provocative title.

Minister calls for investigation of P.E.I. Immigrant Program

Topics: 
Corruption, PEI, Immigration
Rating: 
4

Brodie Fenlon – 10 May 2012

Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has called on his officials to launch an investigation in the wake of a joint probe of P.E.I.'s controversial immigrant nominee program by the Huffington Post Canada and King's College journalism students.

“I have referred these findings to my department for further investigation,” Kenney said.The series, reported by students at the University of King’s College in Halifax, found the now-defunct program offered some foreign nationals a way to purchase entry into Canada by making “investments” they would never recoup, in companies they might not even know.

Ottawa crackdown on P.E.I. immigration scheme

Topics: 
Corruption, PEI, Immigration
Rating: 
3
PEI Legislature

At first, it was a quiet, bureaucratic struggle, but by 2008, the gloves came off as Ottawa forced an end to P.E.I.’s Immigrant Partner program.

The King's Investigative Workshop – May 8, 2012

The Prince Edward Island government resisted years of efforts by Ottawa to have it change an immigration program that federal officials increasingly saw as a threat to the integrity of the country's immigration program.

The plan allowed foreign nationals to obtain expedited entry to Canada by making a payment, some of which went to a business in Prince Edward Island.

Immigrant-investor program in Maritimes collapses in scandal, lawsuits

Topics: 
PEI, Immigration
Rating: 
3

Tamsin McMahon – December 17, 2011

Every year, roughly 60 numbered companies are registered on Prince Edward Island. In 2008 that number suddenly quadrupled, to more than 240, as the provincial government rushed to approve a flood of applications for an immigration program that partnered local businesspeople with foreign investors in exchange for visas, and which was about to be shut down by the federal government.

By the time the island immigrant investor program had ended, more than $500-million had flowed into local businesses, immigration consultants, lawyers and government coffers, the province’s auditor-general later found, a huge sum in a province whose annual operating budget is $1.5-billion.

P.E.I. Liberal's disclosure of private information probed

Topics: 
PEI, Privacy
Rating: 
0

CBC News – September 20, 2011

P.E.I.'s privacy commissioner has opened an investigation into the disclosure of personal information that was sent out by the Liberal party last week.

The news release was sent to the media hours after a controversial story broke in the Globe and Mail that outlined serious allegations about the Provincial Nominee Program made by three former government employees.

Privacy rules don't apply, say P.E.I. Liberals

Topics: 
PEI, Privacy
Rating: 
0

CBC News – September 19, 2011

Protection of privacy legislation on P.E.I. does not apply to political parties, say the Liberals, so they had no qualms in using leaked information about a former employee.

On Thursday, following revelations in the media about allegations of fraud and bribery in an immigrant investor program from three former government workers, the Liberal Party issued a news release. It contained information about the women's work histories, and what appeared to be two emails from Lana Tenetko, one of the women, addressed to Innovation Minister Allan Campbell.

P.E.I. rushed to approve thousands of immigrants

Topics: 
Corruption, PEI, Political misconduct, Immigration
Rating: 
3

Bill Curry and Olivery Moore – September 17, 2011

The PEI government’s rush approval of nearly 2,000 immigrant investors before Ottawa shut down the island’s nomination program three years ago is at the heart of allegations that rules went out the window in the province’s scramble to secure foreign cash.

New statistics obtained by The Globe and Mail from Citizenship and Immigration Canada reveal that, when the successful investors’ spouses and children are counted, the island actually approved more than 6,000 immigrants between August, 2008, and the end of February, 2009. Of those, about 1,000 are still waiting overseas to be approved by Ottawa.

Ottawa to probe alleged P.E.I. immigration fraud

Topics: 
Corruption, PEI, Political misconduct, Immigration
Rating: 
0

September 15, 2011

The Globe and Mail is reporting the federal government has asked the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery in Prince Edward Island's PNP program.

The federal Citizenship and Immigration Department referred the case to police late Wednesday, says the Globe, after it received information from at least three former provincial public servants. Among the information were detailed allegations that, at a Marriott hotel suite in Hong Kong, would-be immigrant investors gave senior island bureaucrats cash-stuffed envelopes to have their applications approved.

Ottawa calls for probe of P.E.I. immigration program

Topics: 
Corruption, PEI, Political misconduct, Immigration
Rating: 
3
Robert Ghiz

Bill Curry – September 15, 2011

The federal government is calling in the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery in a PEI immigration program that allowed hundreds of primarily Chinese nationals to buy their way into Canada.

In less than three weeks, Islanders will vote on whether to re-elect Robert Ghiz’s Liberal government. His party is leading in the polls, but has been on the defensive since 2008 because relatives of the Premier, along with cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and several MLAs, benefited financially from the immigrant investor program.

P.E.I. whistleblower legislation: CBC News report

Topics: 
PEI
Rating: 
0
Robert Ghiz

On April 8, 2010 PEI Opposition Leader Olive Crane introduced a bill to protect government whistleblowers – honest employees who speak up when they encounter wrongdoing in the workplace. The following is CBC's report on the debate.

Sally Pitt: The opposition’s attempt to have whistleblower legislation enacted in PEI was defeated today. The bill died after a barrage of questions and comments by government members. Premier Robert Ghiz said the bill was flawed and poorly researched. John Jeffrey has more.

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