Mr. Speaker, the last budget showed the true colours of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: No more talk about readiness to accept immigrants. Instead, we impose on them a new tax to reduce the federal deficit even though they have yet to step foot in the country. Worse yet, we are asking refugees who arrived less than a year ago, or who are still outside the country, to absorb Canada's debt.
How can we believe that the minister is acting in good faith when even the United States and Australia impose no settlement fees on refugees?
How can we exact settlement fees from refugees when they were forced to leave their countries and when Canada has recognized their right to settle here? The minister's attitude is incomprehensible, unjust and discriminatory.