’ Meszaros y_ granted entry vis-a
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(CUP)-Istvan DOWNSVIEW Meszaros, the Marxist professor Canadian immigration authorities tried to exclude from a teaching post at York university on the grounds he was a “security risk”, has apparently won his eightmonth fight to live and teach in Canada. Meszaros received word january 5 that he had been granted an entry visa to Canada. He had returned to England december 29 after being in Canada fighting his after case since September Manpower and Immigration ministerRobert Andras had assured him he would personally review the case. Meszaros will return to Toronto january 20 to begin teaching political philosophy at York. Meszaros came to Canada in September to force the government to open its files on the case. Immigration authorities declared him in the country illegally and he was ordered deported by the Immigration Review Board while Bryce Mackasey was still minister of Manpower and Immigration. The case received international attention and academics arqund the world rallied to support pressure, Meszaros. Under Mackasey promised to personally review the case if Meszaros returned to England. Meszaros refused because- once out of the country he would have lost his right of appeal. Mackasey then withdrew a conditional offer to allow Meszaros to stay and teach at York for one year only. The case. is notable -for the question it raises about the review process in the immigration department. If Meszaros had not come to Canada, Paul Copeland, speculated it was his lawyer, highly unlikely his case would have been favourably reviewed. And by using the “security risk” label, the government was able to blanket the flimsiest of evidence in secrecy, and use it as a club to which Meszaros had no defense. He had no idea what evidence the charge had been based on. Rumors floated that he was a Russian spy and at one point, Mackasey’s executive assistant Zarie Levine told a newspaper reporter that Meszaros was “I IO golden-haired boy ’ ’ . Meszaros has filed a libel suit against Levine. With the help of NDP MP Ed Broadbent, also (a member of York’s political science department, Meszaros contacted the new minister, Robert Andras. ’ In a telephone call december 24, Andras told Meszaros he would honor the promise of his predecessor to review the case. Andras reportedly told Meszaros I 10 grounds existed for his exclusion from Canada. The government wouldn’t intervene in
Andras said, and the appeal, Meszaros had all the benefit of all possible routes of appeal. The statement in effect guaranteed that the government wouldn’t issue a security certificate. The certificate would have prohibited the appeal board from opening the security risk issue. In that event, the board would have been forced to settle the Meszaros case on a strict question of law without any humanitarian considerations. In appeal cases a board ruling can be humanitarian reversed on grounds. But more important, Andras’ statement is seen by observers as proof the government had no grounds for the original charge that Meszaros was a security risk. In September Meszaros said he thought the label came from some Canadian immigration official in London who seemed to think all Marxists were security risks and bomb- throwers. Meszaros fled Hungary in 1956 when the stalinists regained control after the abortive uprising that year. He was a noted civil rights advocate in his homeland and served as an assistant to the cultural affairs minister in the short-lived revolutionary government. He went to Italy and then to Britain where he later became a British , citizen without any problems. While teaching at the University of Sussex he was offered a position at York and resigned. But when he applied for landed immigrant status in Canada while still in London, Canadian authorities there refused and the battle began. York university officials played a very low-keyed role in the dispute. York president David Slater sent telegrams to Mackasey but left the bulk of affairs to arts dean _John Saywell. When the original refusa&-of Meszaros’ landed immigrant status a.pplication arrived in late June, Saywell sent Meszaros a telegram offering one year’s salary as settlement, plus an offer to help Meszaros get his old job back at Sussex. York originally agreed to pay Mcszaros his salary although he wasn’t teaching, but stopped payment in October and froze the bank account. At that time Mcszaros couldn’t touch the money since he could be charged with being illegally employed if he did. Meszaros’ lawyer, Paul Copeland said the eight-month court and legal costs would come to about $8,000, which he hoped to collect from York university. In a similar case two-years ago, York picked up the tab for the entry fight of Gabriel Kolko, noted critic of American foreign policy and now a history professor at /York. _
University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario volume 13, number 28 friday, january 12, 1973
-photo by brian cere
debate was the one surrounding the budget proposals to be made to the senate next monday. Brian Switzman and Shane Roberts put forward five proposals to be considered by council, and passed on to the student representatives on the senate. Four of the five suggestions were accepted by council after rather lengthy and at times circuitous debate. The first proposal addressed itself to the issue of the $100 fee increase levied by the university and the provincial government. Suggesting that the increase be rescinded for the year 1973-1974, it was felt that the loss of revenue could be covered from other sources. In addition to the reduction of fees, the federation proposed that a committee be set up to experiment and investigate a programme of student awards for the part-time student body. The funds for such a project would be comprised of a $50,000 grant from the university and at least an equal amount from the department of university affairs. As far as the accessibility of revenue in lieu of the reduced tuition and expenses of the parttime student programme is concerned the council felt that the approximately $1.6 million maintained as an insurance against unforeseen drops in enrolment could be used in this area. Also, it is to be proposed that the salary of faculty in the $14,000 bracket and above could be frozen for the next academic year. When I o(leration president, Shane Roberts and his executive assistant Brian one considers that those faculty Snitrman not only want to..evict university president Burt Matthews members who would be affected by trot?, his residence, but also have serious criticisms of his ad,-such a policy, some 83 per cent, are njinistrative capabilities. See open letter page 72. in the top 4 per cent of Canadian wage earners, it is hard to envisage any dire hardships imposed if this path is followed. Another source for operating wealth that could be made available to the university is the presidential mansion at Westgate Walk. The fourth proposal accepted by council was that this piece of property be sold and the estimated $125,000 received be put back into the university budget. On this point there was some difference of opinion, in that there were those who felt that the position of president of the The federation meeting held price of a five oz. cone to 20 cents, university should carry more with tuesday, january 9, dealt with a and to cut the staff. few of the pressing problems There being no possibility of it than the healthy salary. The fifth proposal brought to the facing the student community at U further discounts on the ice-cream, floor, and subsequently-with: of W. Prominent among these the proposal adopted by the drawn, involved the expenses issues, the financial quandary federation council was to continue inherent in the security operations surrounding the ice-cream conthe operation for one month, with on campus. The current system of cession in the campus centre came an increase in price of 5 cents. for parking space sucunder considerable discussion and Instead of cutting back to a one- charging the salaries of size-of-cone outfit, with a 20 cent 5 ceeds in covering scrutiny: the sixsecurity personnel involved The hard facts of the situation oz. cone, the concession -will in the organization and collections’ are that the enterprise is presently continue to offer its customary of the money. Thus, the whole losing money; the costs incurred one-, two-, and three-scoop cones, is circular-the funds over the period from may of last at the new prices of.15, 20, and 25 process obtained pay for those who collect year through to december 31 cents respectively. them, and no more. On this basis amounted to $7,806, while the inIf this price increase, coupled of the parking fees come over the same period only with a cutback in staff hours does the removal was suggested as a possible amounted to $5,412. The budgeted not result in a break-even budget proposal to go to senate, along with after the one month trial period, subsidy to be covered by the a reduction of the security staff by federation was $1,800, leaving an ’ the federation will consider closing down this service and leave the 50 per cent. The latter measure overall loss of $594. When would reduce the present force of questioned about possible means to campus prey to the food services 16 officers to an - 8 man one. alleviate the problem of operating plastic ice-cream. However, this propos.al was withat a loss, the distributor for Another question that came Ncilson’s suggested raising the under a considerable amount of -continued on page 5
Student
cmncil
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proposal
Burt to be homeless?
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