Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues some good news about recent agreements between the province of British Columbia and the federal government.
Last month both parties settled the residency requirement dispute. British Columbia will be refunded $26.6 million in transfer payments. In the spirit of co-operation the province will abolish its three-month residency requirement.
The agreement will alleviate fiscal pressures placed on B.C. resulting from the arrival of numerous Canadians from other provinces across Canada. In addition B.C. will receive a total increase of $67.2 million in immigration settlement funding over the next three years in recognition of the province's substantial immigration settlement costs.
These two initiatives are evidence of the strength of the partnership between B.C. and Ottawa and the fact the federal government is responsive to the needs of British Columbians.