Evidence of meeting #17 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was you're.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Okay.
You mentioned in your opening statement one-time initiatives to recalibrate our immigration system. There are 115,000 protected persons and 33,000 temporary workers.
I'm a little confused. What category are they going to show up in on the levels plan when they're being reported? Are those “humanitarian and compassionate” people?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
If you'll allow me—if not me, someone else will—let me start with the protected persons in Canada category. If I can explain the definition of that to you—
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Your question, though, gave me the idea that perhaps....
Go ahead and ask that again.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You put it in the plan. Well, you didn't put it in the plan. You put a little asterisk at the bottom of the plan saying, “By the way, we're going to add another 115,000 people to this plan.” The plan is actually going to be higher than you said.
I'm just curious about where those people are going to show up in the plan once they are granted PR.
Liberal
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I understand.
What line of the plan are they going to show up on?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
They're in the budget. It was presented in Parliament. It's there, transparently. Everybody is seeing it. They are in addition to the plan.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I'm confused. You're saying, “They're in the budget”, but they're in addition to the budget, so which is it? Are they in the budget or in addition to the budget?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
It's not the budget. They are in addition to the levels plan. It's a one-time initiative over the next two years.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You said the levels are going to be 380,000 or whatever, but they're actually going to be higher than that. Is that what you're saying?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Again, it's very transparent. The document is there. Those are the numbers. This is a one-time initiative over the next two years. These are people who have been living—
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Minister, I would disagree that it's transparent. You're saying, on one hand, that it's this number, 380,000, but on the other hand, you're saying, “By the way, we're going to add in another x number of people.”
We don't know how many it's going to be. I don't find that transparent at all.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Again, these protected persons have been living here in Canada for years. They are working. They're paying taxes. They have housing.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I understand. There are three million people like that.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
It is the plan to bring them into permanent residency faster, within a two-year time span.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Is that why you put unprecedented powers in Bill C-12 to mass-approve documents? Is it for this category of people?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Those would have absolutely nothing to do with these people. These people already have the right to stay in Canada.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
How do they have the right to stay in Canada? Were you going to process them one at a time? How are you going to process so many people at once? Your government has been struggling to process files for years. All of a sudden, you're magically going to approve 115,000 files. How is that going to happen?
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
It will come from the resources that are there. The department has already been actively looking at this. It will not take away any officers who are processing other items.
The department has already been looking at that and has it under control.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You've somehow figured out how to suddenly become more efficient in the department. Is that what you're saying?
