Evidence of meeting #26 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was family.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:55 p.m.
Director General, Immigration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I was saying earlier that it's really difficult to put an economic number on something like cultural and social contribution—
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, Ms. Kingsley. The time is up for Ms. Kwan.
We will now have two minutes for Mr. Hallan, and then end the panel with two minutes for Mr. Dhaliwal.
Mr. Hallan, please begin. You have two minutes.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
The time's going to be passed to Mr. Benzen.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Bob Benzen Conservative Calgary Heritage, AB
Thank you, Chair.
With regard to the health insurance, an earlier witness today said his study showed that there were 30 companies providing insurance. Thirty companies is an extremely low number of companies. I think we need to have well over 100, 200 or 300 companies that can provide health insurance, so that we have a very competitive market. This would help reduce the prices.
Would you agree that we need to increase the number of companies that are providing health insurance?
12:55 p.m.
Director General, Immigration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you, Chair.
I think that increasing the number of insurance companies has the potential to reduce prices, but there are a lot of questions around whether opening it up to foreign insurance providers would result in that. It's a really complex issue, and, as I was saying earlier, we can look at setting criteria for companies that would meet those criteria and make sure that we're protecting clients. How the international insurance market would react to that designation scheme with added criteria is an open question that we don't have an answer to.
12:55 p.m.
Director General, Immigration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Nonetheless, the basic.... Yes, excuse me.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Bob Benzen Conservative Calgary Heritage, AB
Nonetheless, the witness earlier was saying that it would be up to $5,000 a year for a person to pay for insurance that they might not even use, which is extremely expensive. We need to find ways to make that market more competitive and to lower these prices, to make it more affordable for everybody.
The other thing I'd like to mention is that we have—
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, Mr. Benzen, but the time is up for you.
Now we will proceed to Mr. Dhaliwal.
Mr. Dhaliwal, you will have two minutes. You can please begin.
May 31st, 2022 / 12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'll carry on with Mr. Benzen's question.
It's very frustrating to see the insurance costs for children who want to bring the parents and grandparents on super visas. Not only that, but when they come here and at some point one of those people have to go to the hospital, the insurance doesn't even cover the whole amount.
How can the government help? I think it's a good idea that, just like provincial insurance, if MSP can cover it—at least then they don't need to worry about going back and forth between the insurance companies.
Panel members, I would like to hear your comments.
1 p.m.
Director General, Immigration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Madam Chair, I think those examples that we see of parents and grandparents on super visas having issues getting insurance companies to pay for their costs and so on are reflective of how important it is that we have reliable, robust insurance for these super visa holders.
The bottom line is the health and the financial security of these visitors. I think that those examples really underscore how much we have to be sure that we get it right and that any insurance provider that is accepted in our programs will actually deliver what they promise.
1 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
I would also like to know what could be the impact on the whole if the minimum necessary income requirement were reduced for children or grandchildren under the super visa.
1 p.m.
Director General, Immigration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I think that's what the report that the minister will be tabling—if this bill goes through—will look at. The threshold that's currently established really is the bottom line under which families have to devote a larger share than the average to basic necessities such as food.
I think that we're open to examining it. We're open to seeing what the the impact would be of reducing it, and we'll table a report as to the results of that study—if this is adopted.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, but the time is up. With this, this panel comes to an end.
On behalf of all the members of this committee, I would like to thank all the witnesses for appearing before the committee.
Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Okay.
Thank you once again to all the witnesses.
The meeting is adjourned.