John McCallum

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, to refer back to the earlier question about the contribution to UNHCR, there was an additional $10 million, which is included in our estimates, to assist with the costs of identifying the people, and that work is done by the UNHCR.

The answer to the member's other question is that we are relying principally on the United Nations, the UNHCR, to identify the individuals, and on the International Office of Migration to help us with the logistical work to transport and line up the refugees for our processes.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

The new assessment, the new payment to UNHCR, Mr. Chair? The minister previously has said what our expenditure is over all of these years, and it is if this is a floor. The total planned expenditure for all of the years is $550.8 million.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, if he is talking about the $280.2 million, that number is for my department only, and for 2015-16 only. Clearly, that does not cover the costs of every year. That is not what it says that it covers.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, it has not been approved. I cannot speak for all the other departments, but I am telling the member that all of the immigration expenditures are in the supplementary estimates of today. For the other departments, perhaps it is because the money has not been approved by Treasury Board or perhaps for other reasons. The member would have to ask the ministers of those departments if they are not in today's estimates.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, perhaps the member could repeat the question. I do not understand.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I can give the member a breakdown. The number is $280 million for 2015-16 for immigration alone. If he wants the total cost for the Syria project, 2015-16 to 2020-21, then it is $550.8 million for my department. On the other hand, if he wants the total for the whole of the federal government for the whole of the period, then it would be $677.9 million.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, we should be clear. I am not suggesting any additional supplementary estimates whatsoever from my department. What I said was that certain security measures covered by CBSA would be in supplementary estimates (C). It is my understanding that the $100 million for UNHCR will be in supplementary estimates (C) for global affairs. However, what the member sees from my department is, to the best of my knowledge, all that Parliament will get on the Syria project.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, the $100 million for UNHCR has not disappeared, however, it is not in the estimates of the immigration department. He will find it in the Department of Global Affairs.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Madam Chair, with respect to housing, I keep having to tell the member about jurisdictional matters. These questions of social housing are largely not federal. Many of them are municipal.

It is our view that refugees should probably not go to the head of the queue and get in front of Canadians who have been waiting a year or more for housing. It is not our decision. That is largely municipal, but I have spoken to over 30 mayors on this topic and they all agree on that particular point.

Our objective will be to help the new refugees find housing without displacing Canadians who have been waiting for a long time for social housing.

[Business of Supply, December 9th, 2015]

Madam Chair, no. The member keeps repeating these questions. The federal government is putting in close to $700 million in interim federal health care funding, but the overall responsibility for health care rests with the provincial governments.

The member is complaining. The provincial governments are not, because 10 out of 10 have expressed extraordinary enthusiasm for our project and are reacting with generosity, whereas the member seems to be responding in the opposite way.