Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, under the Liberal government, fraudulent refugee claims have skyrocketed, making it a backdoor entry to stay in Canada. The minister's predecessor himself has called this “gaming”.

Does the minister agree that under the Liberals' watch, there has been gaming happening in our asylum system?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the measures in Bill C-2 were introduced for the fact that we are seeing a high number of asylum claims, some of which are not legitimate, and that is meant to ensure—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Liberal government is requesting over $800 million for an interim federal health program. This is up almost 15 times since 2017, and the asks keeps going up. Why?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, those numbers are given to provinces and communities to help support the people who come to their provinces as well.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, who is on the hook for this $800 million? Is it federal taxpayers or provincial taxpayers?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the last I heard, the taxpayers were the Canadian population.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, is the over $800 million for the interim federal health program sustainable, yes or no?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, as I explained, in the estimates, when there is a rise in part of the estimates, there is a correlation decrease in another estimate.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister think it is fair to add hundreds of thousands of asylum claimants, many of whom do not have valid claims, to Canada's already strained health care system?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, that is exactly why we are working to reduce our numbers, and those numbers are decreasing.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister think it is right to pay asylum claimants social assistance payments for years when they might not have a valid claim in the system?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, that is why the ineligibility requirements in Bill C-2 are there. It is to ensure that we deal with the people who do not have legitimate claims. My—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Jean.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to reassure the minister that I am not here to put on a show or to impress my leader or the House leader of the Bloc Québécois.

I would like to ask the minister some questions and have a constructive debate with her. In any case, not many people are watching this evening, and I am not looking to get any sound bites from our discussion.

I will begin with the following question. When the estimates were tabled, the government said that the departmental plans would be tabled in June. Is that correct?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, to begin, I would like to thank my colleague. I greatly appreciate his co-operation. We have met once already, and I look forward to working with him to improve the situation, not only in Quebec, but also across Canada.

Could my colleague repeat his question?

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Chair, when the estimates were tabled, the minister said that her government would also table the departmental plans for her department in June.

Is it correct that the government was supposed to table the plans in June?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, departmental plans for my department are due in November. They are always due in November.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Chair, as of today, June 9, 2025, the ministerial plans have still not been tabled. Normally, they are tabled after the estimates.

My understanding is that the minister will not be tabling a departmental plan in June. Normally, there is a departmental plan, a kind of forecast that is presented after the estimates. Someone needs to get their ducks in a row.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I really appreciate that question. It is a very good question.

I can tell my colleague that I will talk to departmental officials about it. I will keep my colleague posted.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Chair, the 2024-25 budget committed $4.1 billion in spending. Ultimately, $6.3 billion was spent. For 2025-26, $5.1 billion in spending is projected.

The Liberals were off by $2 billion last year. How many billions of dollars does the government think it will be off by this year?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, what I can say is that estimates have been established for now. I cannot predict what the future will bring.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Chair, in February 2022, the minister's predecessor announced an $85-million investment to improve the client experience and modernize the immigration system. That plan was in the 2021 economic and fiscal update. It would have reduced processing times and addressed difficulties encountered during the process. The plan also called for 500 new officers to be hired.

In 2024, her department announced that it would be cutting 3,300 officer positions. I would like to know how the department spent $85 million in 2022 to hire people and reduce processing times, only to reduce the number of officers and increase delays in 2024. What happened to that $85 million? Is her department's way of doing business productive?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, again, this is very important. What I can say is that the department's plan is coming. My colleague is right. However, when he talks about modernizing the immigration system, we are at $134.8 million for this year.