Evidence of meeting #5 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was immigrants.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Chinese Canadian Community Alliance
As I said, I agree in principle that we should give them an extended visa to come, a visitor's visa—whether five-year, ten-year, or even twenty-year, I don't care, but multiple—but as I mentioned, as long as they don't become a burden on society.
On the other hand, at least the government has said we tried; we are not here to stop you from coming. It's your choice whether you want to come on a visitor's visa or not.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Thank you.
We are obviously reviewing backlogs, and this is the reason we're all here. Obviously, if you're raising the limits from five years to ten years for a multi-entry visa, mathematically you're going to reduce the number of applications that are repetitive or coming more often. I think that is more or less the answer. But I wonder whether in your opinion it is more convenient for people to visit family and friends when we make the application process easier. And do you think it is going to make a difference in the number of applications that are being sent in?
President, Chinese Canadian Community Alliance
I think the backlog would definitely drop. Either people would take the visa and come as visitors or some people would realize there is no chance of getting an immigration visa and would drop out of the queue.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Okay. I wasn't sure you understood my question, so I was going to reword it a bit.
Amy, I'm going to ask for your opinion as well, but I expect you would agree with extending the length of time during which people can come into and go from Canada.
Senior Policy and Communications Coordinator, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
Yes. It raises another question, though, which is what the reason for the backlog is. I'm sure the people at the department know. We've heard some speculation, but it would be really good to look into the reasons, because there could be different reasons for it.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Thank you. That's actually why we're here studying this important issue.
How much time do I have left, Mr. Chairman?
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
We've touched base on immigration levels. There was an NDP proposal, and we have talked about it at this table, to raise the immigration levels. But we've also heard, and I've heard from each of you, about the need to make sure that immigrants succeed in Canada. Simply raising the levels and not allowing immigrants the full benefit of participating in the economy and the job market.... I think we have to be very careful when we talk about increasing levels, given the fact that we need to not simply throw money at resources.
Mr. Pang, in your opinion.... Increasing levels, I feel, is not the answer. I think we need to make sure that those who come to Canada have the resources available, which is Amy's area, and that they can fully succeed.
President, Chinese Canadian Community Alliance
How many more PhDs do we need driving taxis in Toronto?
NDP
Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And to the witnesses, thank you very much for your testimony today. One of the great benefits of having you here is your ability to talk about reality on the ground. On our last panel we had some economists talking about reality on the ground, which always worries me and makes me a bit suspicious.
So I wonder whether, through the eyes of your organization—and perhaps starting with you, Amy—you could talk about the economic reality on the ground for immigrant communities and about how parents and grandparents assist in the family's acting as an economic unit.
Very briefly, I know from my own experience that my little family, with three young kids, has always acted as an economic unit, and my absence from my home in Toronto has given rise to the need for my wife's parents to come up and spend some time with us to look after our kids so that my wife can be at work.
But through the eyes of your organization, could you please describe how parents and grandparents could help families as an economic unit in Canada?
Senior Policy and Communications Coordinator, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
Absolutely. As Mr. Tam has already mentioned, the assumption is that parents and grandparents bring nothing or contribute nothing to Canada, and that is simply not true, and not fair to our sponsored relatives or refugees either.
In the absence of a national child care strategy, or even a provincial child care strategy for Ontario, what parents and grandparents do is critical in terms of providing child care, of child-minding so that they free up the adults in the family to pursue other opportunities.
More than that, they actually contribute to the cohesion of the family and the community as well. And parents and grandparents—some of them, anyway—are definitely participants in the economy in one way or the other—even the underground economy, and we hear stories of that all the time.
Chief Executive Officer, SUCCESS
One fairly common phenomenon among new immigrants is that they travel back to their original country once or twice a year at least, because they need to visit their parents. So they take a lot of Canadian dollars outside Canada. I think that's another phenomenon that has some economic implications, on top of Amy's point that the parents and grandparents play a very important role in helping their family get together.
NDP
Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON
Thank you.
One of my first experiences as a member of Parliament was to attend a meeting of a South Asian women's organization in my riding on Mother's Day, and the tears were flowing. Usually these things are celebrations of moms and all the rest of it, but there was a tremendous amount of sadness. I think it had to do largely with the social role that parents and grandparents play in the community and around the issue of child care in particular.
I was wondering if you could comment. Amy, you've talked about the issue of social cohesion. Could you elaborate a little further on how important the role of parents and grandparents is in providing that kind of social support to families here?
Senior Policy and Communications Coordinator, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
We know, again from talking to front-line workers, that parents and grandparents provide a sense of stability, often a sense of continuity for young children as well as other members of their family. They also help to knit the community together. I'm sure many of you know from going to community events that the people who are there in large numbers are usually typically seniors, typically parents and grandparents, and they create an environment that is positive. They also help to mentor and raise children, not only their own but children in their communities.
We know it has a positive effect on communities, and we know all of Canada benefits as a result.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Thank you.
I'm sorry, Mr. Kellway, the clock has ticked on, and the meeting has come to a conclusion.
Mr. Pang, Ms. Casipullai, and Mr. Tam, thank you for your presentation. It was an interesting contrast from the first set of presenters this morning, and I know the committee appreciated your taking the time and making a presentation to us. Thank you very much on behalf of the committee.
Before I adjourn the meeting, I want to remind the subcommittee members that there will be a subcommittee meeting at the conclusion of the regular meeting on Thursday, which would be at 1 p.m.
The meeting is adjourned.