Post-Confederation of Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post-Confederation of Canada - Essay Example Rowell-Sirois Commission (1937, report 1940) The famous great depression of 1930’s also affected Canada and it was due to the urgent need to address the economic challenges that faced the country that the Rowell-Sirois Commission was formed in 1937. The Commission was formed to devise permanent solutions that can prevent the country from experiencing another depression as it had been witnessed during the 1930s. The report, which the commission handed over to the government in 1940, is significant in the Canadian history since it is the report, which recommended that the federal government take full charge of workers’ pension scheme. Secondly, it is this report that made the federal government take full control of the unemployment insurance. Secondly, it recommended that the federal government create equalization payments and the disbursement of funds by the federal government to the provincial governments on a yearly basis. William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950) Willia m Lyon Mackenzie commonly referred to as Mackenzie King was Canada’s 10th Prime Minister and the longest serving Prime Minister in Canada’s history who served for 22 years between 1921 through to 1948. According to political analysts, Mackenzie King did not have typical personal attributes of a great leader especially when compared to the his peers during this era, however, he was able to serve as the longest Prime Minister because of the wide variety of skills that he possessed, which resonated with the needs that Canada had during his era. He is most significant to the Canadian history because during his tenure he laid the foundation of the Canadian welfare state. Person’s case (1929) Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy and Irene Parlby, (the famous 5s), presented a petition on 18th October 1927that requested the Governor General to issue a directive to the Supreme Court in order for them determine whether women had the right or if they were eligible to become Senator under the British North America Act. This is because up until that time, women were regarded as â€Å"persons† who could not hold public offices as Canada Senators. The ruling in this petition is significant to the Canadian history as it recognized women as persons who were eligible for appointment to the Canadian Senate and it set forth the establishment of various women rights. NAFTA (1994) The North American Free Trade Agreement is an agreement that was signed by the United States, Mexico, and Canada on 1st January, 1994 creating a trilateral trading block in North America. The agreement was signed by the three countries in order to boost investment and trading between the three countries by eliminating some of the trade barrier that had previously existed in the region. According to economists, this agreement is particularly important in the Canadian history as it enabled the country to trade more thus boosts its gross domestic p roduct and overall economic condition. Louis Riel As previously mentioned, Louis Riel spearheaded the establishment of the government for the Province of Manitoba, and it is further noted that he was also a key figure in the Canadian history since he was the political and spiritual leader of the Metis people of the Canadian prairies. Louis Riel is also significant in the Canadia

Immigration Policy and illegal immigrants Term Paper

Immigration Policy and illegal immigrants - Term Paper Example For a nation made and flourished by immigrants and rightfully admired by immigrants from across the globe, it is quite paradoxical to mistreat and exploit modern-day immigrants. The unfortunate and negative connotation associated with immigration in the US is also observed to further degrade the lives of Native Americans, African-Americans and Chicanas (Moreno, 2004). These groups are treated as lesser citizens in their own country and sometimes forced to go through the shame of being stereotyped as illegal citizens (Hernandez, 2009). Amidst all these immigration negativity, it is observed that illegal immigrants do have positives especially in regards economic and political considerations. This study will provide a background on the issue of illegal immigration in the US in terms of current immigration policy and the Bracero Program, before discussing the costs and benefits that illegal immigration brings to the nation. The study will be based on the premise that illegal immigration is beneficial to the United States. Background According to the CBO (2006), US immigration policy is anchored on three goals. The first is to reunite families through admission of immigrants who already have family members living in the US. Secondly is to admit skilled labor in order to meet projected labor shortages and lastly to provide refuge to people in risk of political, religious or racial persecution in their home countries. These three goals are the result of evolution of the nation’s immigration policy over time. In terms of illegal immigration, the law defines such individuals as unauthorized aliens who enter the US without legal documentation or who overstay their temporary visa requirements. The policy of dealing with such individuals is through apprehension either at the point of entry or within the US. it has been argued that failure to devise sound and sustainable immigration policy has resulted in the weakening of the American economy, jeopardy of diplomacy and threats to national security (Council on Foreign Relations, 2009). Such views have led to the mistreatment and stigmatization of illegal immigrants in a seemingly nationwide anti-immigration discourse. A look into the efficacy of the current apprehension, repressive and exclusionary policy by the US on illegal immigration indicates that it has largely failed to tackle the issue and instead fueled the anti-immigration sentiments in the population which are more sensationalist-driven rather than fact-based. Border repression and exclusion have temporary prevented illegal immigrants from returning to their countries with particular reference to Mexico, which has contributed to the â€Å"problem†, while at the same time leading to increased sophistication and criminalization of illegal immigration. More importantly, it has led to increased aloofness to illegal immigrants by the natives, which is manifested through extreme attention to the issue and vilification of immigrants based on their presumed economic costs at the expense of citizens effectively transforming the issue into an alleged national emergency (Arnold, 2011). The key to understanding the cost/benefit debate and taking a position on it is through analyzing the 1942-1964 Bracero Program which allowed Mexican nationals to work temporarily in agricultural fields, in the US, following laws and diplomatic agreements between the US and