Madam Minister, this is along the same line, about the $8.3 million transfer to DFAIT.
In 2002, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, according to public accounts in Canada, collected about $353.6 million in user fees from immigrants, including, I see here, $89 million from temporary resident visas, $45 million from ordinary Canadians trying to sponsor and bring their parents and spouses into Canada under the family class, about $77.8 million in landing fees, and $99 million from skilled workers. So, in total, it's a lot of money: $353.6 million.
Why won't you put all these funds into the supplementary estimates under the immigration program—for example, to clear the 800,000 potential immigrants who are now backlogged and to hire more staff to support the missions overseas through DFAIT?
We remember that in the 1990s those departments were cut by something like 45% by the previous government, so there are dramatically fewer visa offices, whether offices or staff. It's a desperate situation. Why wouldn't you take that money and transfer it so there are lower wait times?