John McCallum

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, that is a very good question. When I was asked what our priority was, I answered that we had three: housing, housing, and housing. In one sense, that is true.

However, in another sense an equally big priority is jobs, because in the short-run this is a great humanitarian gesture. We are reaching out to our fellow human beings in distress and there is a cost. However, in the medium-run, as was the case with former waves of refugees from Vietnam and elsewhere, they have found jobs and we are reaching out to provincial governments and to business to help them get jobs.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, that is absolutely right.

To return to my other colleague very briefly, there are service provider organizations, as we call them, as well. There is a large number of those and there is already funding built in for them to receive an increase, but that has not been announced or determined explicitly yet. That will be coming.

To my other colleague, I would say it is absolutely true. I have spoken to more than 30 mayors and every provincial immigration minister, and one indication of enthusiasm is that, when we add up what all the provinces say they will commit to bring in, we get a number bigger than 25,000. They have over-subscribed, and that is a numerical indicator of enthusiasm. It is not to say that the number promised are two feet on the ground, but it certainly is something in that direction.

That is a sign of the encouragement of all of our provincial governments, matched by the enthusiasm we see on the ground by Canadians, matched by increasing numbers of dollars contributed by businesses, and all of that adds up to a truly national project to bring these refugees to Canada.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, as I have said recently, the likely number of refugees from Syria, between the time the government assumed office and the end of next year, is 35,000 to 50,000. The plan is that, by the end of this calendar year, we will have admitted 15,000 government-assisted refugees and 10,000 privately sponsored ones. We are 10,000 short on the government side, and we will admit that number before the end of 2016, but we can absolutely guarantee by the end of 2016.

In addition, there will be privately sponsored refugees coming to Canada in 2016. The number of those depends partly on the demand by Canadians—how many Canadians want to sponsor—and partly on the decision by the government as to how many it can afford to process. The final decision on that has to be made by the cabinet, but I can say, in round numbers, the range of total refugees from Syria would be 35,000 to 50,000.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I can answer in general terms that the answer is yes. I do not think that such a decision is imminent in terms of announcement, but certainly there are other agencies out there that are really important to our settlement efforts, and it is not our plan to neglect them.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, the member is right. There are 23 agencies, and the $3.6 million represents a 25% increase, which reflects these refugee settlement agencies that are crucial to getting the job done, to actually settling the refugees coming in. Given the large numbers that they have to deal with, it was appropriate.

My understanding is that there are also 13 such agencies in Quebec, but they are funded separately, through a separate transfer to the Government of Quebec. I see that my Quebec colleague is nodding. Therefore, that aspect of it is handled by the Government of Quebec.

However, there are 23 agencies that have just received a 25% increase in their budget from the federal government.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, he seems to say that we do not have a plan, but using the bases as a last resort is the plan. We do have a plan to use them as a last resort, should they be needed. It is a prudent plan and it allows for various contingencies.

The cost of temporary accommodation on the base is, indeed, included in the supplementary estimates that he has before him.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, the member should understand that not every event in every town and village can be predicted in advance, and it is always good to have reserves and contingencies.

Should the permanent accommodation not be available when they arrive, we do not want to throw them out in the streets. The option is to have the military base available should that need arise. If we were not planning for that contingency, we would be accused of irresponsibility.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I dispute virtually all the premises of those questions.

The plan changed once. We announced the change about bringing in 25,000 by the end of the year. We listened to Canadians to do it right. If it takes a little extra time to do it right, then it takes the time, and that is what we have done.

Since that time, we have had one single plan, and because of the factors I have just mentioned, it is normal that we have temporary accommodation available in case it is needed.

In answer to the member's question about numbers, the target is 10,000 by the end of this year; 416 have arrived since November 4; almost 12,000 are in the process of being screened, and there are more numbers.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, one has to understand that when one is bringing over 25,000 people from Jordan and Lebanon, there are many moving parts. That is why we have contingencies in our estimates. We are being fiscally prudent.

One does not know months in advance precisely how much accommodation will be available in every town, village, and city across the country, so we make an allowance so in case accommodation is not ready elsewhere, there is temporary accommodation provided.

That does not mean there is not a plan. This means there is a prudent plan that deals with these possible contingencies.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I have just said it would not detract from the operational forces on the base. One should bear in mind that the vast majority of the refugees coming between now and the end of the year are, in fact, privately sponsored refugees: 8,000 out of 10,000. Not one of those will go on a military base. They will go directly, or almost directly, to the person who sponsored them, whether it is a family member, church group, or whatever. That is only 2,000 across the whole country that might, for a short time, be housed on military bases. If we are lucky, if we have our act together, there may be virtually no one needing to be lodged on military bases. That remains to be seen.