Thank you very much.
First of all, let me make it categorically clear that the NDP is not opposed to a temporary foreign worker program that addresses genuine labour shortages where no Canadians are available to do the work. We've been very clear about that, and I just wanted to reiterate it so that my colleagues across the way hear it loud and clear.
Minister, I see nothing in votes 1 and 5 that indicates money towards reducing wait times at CIC. You have indicated to us that there has been a 73% reduction in the number of permanent residents receiving Canadian citizenship under this government because there are fewer people to process more applications. Yet we learn of office closure after office closure, with no money dedicated towards clearing the backlog. We have constituents across the country who are permanent residents telling us that they are now being quoted wait times of up to four years to obtain their citizenship, where previously they were quoted 12 months.
Can you tell me, Minister, is four years the new wait time that a permanent resident can expect when awaiting citizenship, and how can you possibly consider this acceptable? When will you introduce measures to reduce these wait times?