Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. We have made promises to work together with local and provincial governments and I am pleased to say this again is another promise we are keeping.
The minister responsible for immigration met this morning with the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and the Minister of Community and Social Services to discuss this issue. We are committed to enhanced co-operation and co-ordination between the two levels of government. We have to work together to use scarce resources more effectively.
We understand and share Ontario's concerns about settlement and immigration. We are certainly prepared to listen. This government has already introduced regulatory changes that will allow refugee claimants to work while awaiting the outcome of their claim, thus reducing the burden on social assistance.
The minister of immigration intends to review other provisions in co-operation with the provinces with a view to maximizing the benefits of immigration to our country while minimizing its costs.