CAPIC/ Phil Mooney are the Source of Criticisms of CSIC

Minister Kenney, as we know, has proposed that The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) be replaced with ICCRC/CAPIC, a body whose only qualification for the job is that they are the source of criticisms of CSIC.  The Minister justifies the change by referring to allegations that were made by CAPIC at the Standing Committee in 2008; newspaper articles that publicized CAPIC accusations against CSIC; and articles published in the Toronto Star in 2007.  Have you noticed a common theme in the source of these allegations?  CAPIC and the media, all referring to matters that took place in 2008 or earlier.  Can you believe that such a massive change, destroying all the work of one regulator, CSIC, and setting up a trade association, CAPIC, a body with no regulatory experience, no infrastructure and no staff is the result of CAPIC's self-interested criticisms of CSIC??

First the Toronto Star articles in 2007.  The CSIC Members involved were disciplined: Simao went to a discipline hearing and Gurpreet and Kamalpreet Khaira almost went to a discipline hearing but ended up cooperating according to CSIC's website.  Considering it is now 2011 it is fair to say the information is stale and no longer relevant.

In July 2008, the federal court reviewed CSIC's structure and deemed CSIC to be the proper regulator of immigration consultants.  Just prior to that decision, in June 2008 the Standing Committee heard complaints from CAPIC members, claiming that CSIC membership fees were too high, and, essentially,they were dissatisfied with CSIC board's reported lack of accountability and transparency.  Apparently, having CSIC's board being elected by CSIC members was not sufficient to address this complaint ( interestingly, quite similar accusations about a lack of transparency and accountability have been made against the federal Tories).  CAPIC accusations have been transformed into a claimed lack of public confidence in CSIC. In fact, Phil Mooney, President and CEO of ICCRC and his supporters have a lack of confidence in CSIC, because they were not able to control the regulator.  Most members of the Canadian public don't even know that CSIC exists!

The newspaper articles in which CAPIC criticizes CSIC are no more than Phil Mooney and his supporters airing their complaints about CSIC in the newspapers.  Many of us watching CAPIC's conduct for years have known that their only goal has been to destroy CSIC and set themselves up as the new regulator.  So now Phil Mooney and his supporters can control how membership fees are spent, and can set up a regulator where the interests of immigration consultants are promoted at the expense of the public interest.

You can thank Minister Kenney for the Protecting Crooked Consultants Act, promoting the ICCRC cartel over the public interest.