Canadian Immigration Minister Judy Sgro, already embroiled in a scandal over favors given to a Romanian stripper, resigned on Friday after a pizza shop owner said she had reneged on a promise to help him avoid deportation in exchange for free pizza.Pizza, garlic bread, and a little campaign work? I guess Judy is a cheap date.
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Sgro left after pizza shop owner Harjit Singh filed an affidavit in Federal Court accusing her of offering to help him stay in Canada in return for pizza deliveries and assistance with her election campaign.
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Singh, who is facing imminent deportation after he was accused of using someone else's passport, said in his affidavit that he had approached Sgro to ask for help.
"She assured me that if I helped out in her election campaign she would get me immigration in Canada," he said.
"Judy said she wanted me to deliver pizza, garlic bread etc. to her campaign office ... I did this. She also said that she needed 15-16 people to help work in her campaign. I organized this for her as well," he said in the affidavit, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
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Once news of the arrangement leaked out, Sgro reneged on the deal, he added. Singh, who emigrated from India in 1988, was arrested in late December.
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Sgro is already under investigation by Parliament's ethics commissioner for giving a temporary residency permit to a Romanian stripper who had worked on her election campaign. She also extended the woman's expired work permit.
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The job of immigration minister is a sensitive one in Canada, which is one of the few Western nations still actively seeking immigrants. The Liberals have traditionally drawn widespread support from immigrant communities.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Hey Hosers!
(Canadian) Immigration Minister Quits in Pizza Scandal