posted on Jan, 17 2005 @ 03:51 AM
Embattled Canadian Immigration Minister Judy Sgro has tendered her resignation. While still embroiled in a scandal over alleged favors to a Romanian
Stripper, Sgro was also accused of blackmailing a pizza shop owner for free food. Harjit Singh, owner of a pizza shop in Ottawa, has filed an
affidavit accusing the minister of promising to help him stay in the country in exchange for free pizza and campaign work. Sgro denies the charges and
her resignation is said to be given so that she'll have a free hand in her defense.
story.news.yahoo.com
OTTAWA (Reuters) - 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.
The affair is yet another political embarrassment for Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, who lost his parliamentary majority in a June 2004 election
amid anger over a government sponsorship scandal.
"It's obviously with great regret that I accepted Judy Sgro's resignation but I understand why she wanted to do it. She wants to have a completely
free hand to defend herself against these allegations," Martin told reporters.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
I'm all for getting rid of crooks, but strippers and pizza? It seems extremely petty (and hard to prove). You may as well tell me that Ted Turner
stole your bicycle. Don't you think that this person could have aimed a little higher if they were really so crooked? If the charges bear out then so
be it, but if it comes to light that this was an extortion attempt or a character assassination then somehow deportation just wouldn't cut it. I'd
recommend having him -swim- out of Canada if this turned out to be false.
I also find it more than a tad funny that while a female cabinet officer was not shamed out of office by a scandal involving a stripper, a couple of
pizza's managed to be the straw which broke the camel's back. What exactly is the message being sent here? It's OK to pay favors to vulnerable
people in the adult industry, but you can't get fat while doing it?
[edit on 17-1-2005 by Banshee]