Thank you, Madam Chair.
My interest is in proceeding with the business of government. To the extent that opposition members wish to frame their questions in a particular way, know that it rolls off my back.
With respect to the Conservative campaign commitment, I think the way it's been framed could lead to a helpful debate around how the role of something like the BVOR model, joint sponsorship or the private sponsorship of refugees could be meaningfully advanced. That's a healthy conversation to have.
The reality is that the campaign commitment you've just discussed suggests that there would be an end to the government-assisted refugee stream. Even in non-emergency situations, I don't think it is a good idea to end that program altogether. One reason is that this program allows us to target the most vulnerable, not just those who have a connection to Canada. It allows us to respond to urgent situations that may not constitute an emergency.
I don't think the commitment would have served the interests of the world's most vulnerable, whom Canada's system of refugee resettlement has been designed to support.
That said, I think it is a helpful opportunity for us to continue to work with settlement organizations, sponsorship agreement holders and organizations who have a history of settling successfully, through the BVOR stream, for example, people who now live in the communities that I come from and right across Canada. We believe that private sponsorship can lead to superior outcomes in many instances.