Evidence of meeting #42 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was applications.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Immigration Lawyer, As an Individual
People don't have to pay to hire an attorney if they want to come to Canada. That really isn't what the issue here is at all. The issue is one of giving more discretion to immigration officers to carry out the instructions of the minister.
You talk about 925,000 people waiting in line. Then I suggest that the government use the mechanisms in the current legislation to bring people here quicker, and if they want, to curtail the influx of new applications. It's there; it ought to be used.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
First of all, Mr. Roschlau, I liked the comments that you made with respect to the income tax benefits for employer-purchased transit tickets. It's a good idea. I've had it mentioned to me by a number of people. I think it's a system that would actually pay real dividends in the transit system.
I thought my colleague across the way might be interested in finding out that GO Transit ridership, year over year, March over March, is up some 7.5%. That speaks to what you're speaking about, which is the increased demand for commuter rail and for commuter transit.
I had just a quick question on the $500 million transit trust. You indicated that was a great idea. I know that's been handed to the provinces to put to various priorities. What do you think the split should be? How should that work? What type of public transit do you think this country really needs? I know we need an integrated system, but what are we really missing out on in this country?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Urban Transit Association
I think the needs vary a lot from place to place, depending on the size of the community. I think what's important with investments like this is that they be equitable across the country so that there is the right amount of money available for big metropolitan areas like Montreal and Toronto but also the right amount for a small community like Whitehorse, which needs another bus.
I think distributing it to each province and territory by population makes a lot of sense. Then, I think, within each province and territory there has to be a mechanism there that makes sense as well. In the past we've had experience with using ridership or using a combination of population and ridership as a way of making that allocation, but I think the equity there within each province is also very important.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Thank you very much.
Now we'll move on to Mr. Mulcair....
Actually, Ms. Chow wants to ask questions as a substitute. We can do this, but at the consent of the committee. If there's no problem, we can have Ms. Chow ask questions.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Obviously in complex immigration changes we want to have the time to study this. The immigration committee only has three days of hearings. On Thursday of this week there will be a report done. So within four days, that's it. If your name--the Canadian Arab Federation, for example--is not on the list by now, it's too late. You probably will not have a chance to come in front of the immigration committee.
Having said that, the NDP has a motion in front of both this committee and the immigration committee asking for cross-country consultation.
What is your opinion of that? Should we take more time to study these complex immigration changes?
Executive Director, Canadian Arab Federation
Obviously the member of Parliament clearly knows that the majority of people who've expressed their views about this particular piece of legislation have been against it. The Canadian Bar Association, the Quebec Bar Association, expert immigrant community organizations, settlement services groups--all of those people are against it. Obviously there is an issue.
So if the government is really concerned with transparency and democracy, it needs to consult. It needs to have a wider consultation process to be more inclusive. Definitely, yes, we need more consultation on this issue. If we were happy with it, if we understood the impact of the changes on our communities, we would not be here. But it's not the case.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
This is a question to the Arab Federation. Mr. Cohen laid out very clearly that it's really not about the backlog, because when you have a backlog, all you have to do is hire more people and set higher targets; that the minister has the power to do so now; and that these immigration changes will have nothing to do with the 925,000 people in the backlog anyway, because the implementation date, if this bill passes, is February 27, after the bill is introduced. So it has nothing to do with the 925,000 people in the backlog.
On top of that, Mr. Cohen said that the best and the brightest already have the capacity right now--if the minister chooses, or under the regulations under IRPA--to in fact come to Canada in an expedited manner.
So it's not about the backlog. It's not about getting skilled labour to come to Canada as quickly as possible. Why, then, do you think the Conservative government introduced these sweeping changes?
That's to whoever wants to tackle the question.
Legal Counsellor, Canadian Arab Federation
I think we'd be stating the obvious to say that it's about a confidence vote. It's not fair to Canadians to be implementing legislation this way. It's part of a move toward legislative changes that will authorize instructions to be made in all sorts of areas, which will reduce political accountability.
I think it has serious implications for our constitutional democracy. It certainly has implications for the rule of law, particularly when people are going to be making applications under a particular set of laws, and then arbitrarily those criteria will be changed and their applications will be refused without notice to them. After their fee has been collected, after they've waited their turn, their application could be, as the Canadian Council for Refugees said, shredded.
It has really huge implications also for our international obligations--this is something I've set out in our written submissions--when we talk about humanitarian and compassionate applications not being required to be assessed outside of the country.
So these are all very major changes that impact on really fundamental aspects of our democracy. This railroading in passing the legislation, the high-stakes manner in which it's being done, is highly objectionable. It really calls into question the government's commitment to fair, open government.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Boudjenane, I would like you to come back to something you said earlier about the fact that since September 11, 2001, refugee applications are subjected to more scrutiny. Can you tell me more about that, please?
Executive Director, Canadian Arab Federation
Yes. Recently, as you know, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees singled out the Canadian government which was not doing enough to take in Iraqi refugees. The minister reacted, but in increasing the number of Iraqi refugees, she reduced the number of refugees from other countries, which seems rather contradictory. That is one point, but I can assure you that there are very clear indications in terms of number, of percentage, over the past three years. The number of immigrants from Arab and Muslim countries has dropped by 30%. Most of the immigrants from those countries wait three times longer than others to have their applications processed.
To also address a comment made by the Conservative member, I would add that the current system includes systemic barriers for certain groups of immigrants. Take, for example, the African continent, which is huge: we only have four missions to grant visas to immigrants from that continent. There are two in Asia; that includes China, Pakistan and India. Moreover, there are more than 50 in Europe and in the United States, there are 10 times the number of these...
Why is there such an emphasis on immigration that no longer comes to Canada, namely, European immigration, when most of today's immigrants come from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America? If we really want to reduce the waiting lists, then why not invest in services that will speed up the processing?
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Speaking of investment, you also said that there are 250 Arab doctors waiting for their licence to be granted by the Collège des médecins du Québec. Since no hospital wants to take them on as interns, they can't practise medicine. The minister appeared before the committee and told us that these changes are necessary in order to allow more doctors to immigrate to Canada.
Am I mistaken, or is there nothing in this bill that will help to bring in more doctors?
Executive Director, Canadian Arab Federation
There is nothing in this bill that will help to bring in more doctors. In fact, the process will be more complicated. The only government initiative is to set up a type of office where people will go to register, but that is all. It is useless.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
It will not add one single position in any hospital, nothing at all?
Executive Director, Canadian Arab Federation
It adds nothing... If the government were serious in wanting to solve the doctor shortage... It is a problem that affects all Canadians. I have no family doctor myself, so I am concerned. How can it be that there are doctors—
Conservative
Liberal
Gurbax Malhi Liberal Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
Thank you.
My question is to David Cohen. According to your opinion, this bill, Bill C-50, is going to affect the family class sponsorship. When they come to this country, how will the new skilled immigrants get jobs, when at present there are so many professionals, engineers and doctors, driving taxis and delivering pizza? Some of them are unemployed too.
Immigration Lawyer, As an Individual
Let me address the first part of your question, where you asked about how this legislation will affect the family class or the sponsorship of applications. The truth is we don't know at this point in time. The minister will be able to, by category of immigration, send instructions to process applications quickly, to hold some back for later, or to not consider some applications at all. This could apply to any class of immigration, economic class as well as family class.
So we really don't know how it will, in the future, affect the sponsorship of spouses, the sponsorship of children, and the sponsorship of parents and grandparents. It's really impossible to tell at this point in time. We do know there will be the power for the minister to issue these kinds of instructions that will delay cases or speed up certain cases.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Mr. Malhi, it is a little unusual to interject at this time, but Mr. Cohen has to leave. I'm just going to try this in the spirit of non-partisanship. Mr. Wallace has asked for one quick question for Mr. Cohen before he has to leave. If you will accept that, and I tack that time onto yours, would that be fine?
Liberal
Gurbax Malhi Liberal Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
But I need the answer from Mr. Cohen, not from somebody else.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
No, no, I know, but....
You have more questions for Mr. Cohen? Then go ahead. His time is very tight. He has to leave for the immigration committee. Go ahead, then, Mr. Malhi.
Liberal