Rick Dykstra

[Tourism, December 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, Red Bull Crashed Ice was held in Niagara Falls.

Downhill ice cross is an unconventional sport but, as 45,000 people in attendance and another 128,000 watching nationwide can tell us, it is one of the most spectacular.

Niagara's tourism industry is a pillar of the Canadian economy and this event showcased why Niagara is one of the world's premiere tourism destinations.

While no decisions have been made for next year, I am sure that organizers would be hard-pressed to find another location that is as scenic or as capable of hosting world-class international events.

Events like Crashed Ice provide a platform to show Canada to the world, to show the abilities of Canadian athletes, like winners Kyle Croxall and Fannie Deforges, and to show why the Niagara region, with all of its natural beauty, is one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, IRB, is concerned, the IRB maintains five offices. The offices are organized in three regions: western region, two offices; eastern region, two offices; and central region, one office.

The IRB does not maintain statistics according to a breakdown of claims by office. Providing a breakdown by individual office would not be possible during the timeline specified for this request.

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we have taken steps to ensure that genuine refugees and asylum-seekers from non-safe countries will receive health care coverage similar to what every Canadian receives in this country. That will not change.

What has changed is that those failed asylum-seekers who are in our country and who should return to their country of origin will not be receiving the treatments they have claimed under their status, based on the fact they are no longer in treatment.

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the entire premise of that question.

We respect the provinces' jurisdiction over health care and will not interfere in any way with how they choose to provide supplemental health care benefits. It is very important to distinguish between a refugee, a refugee claimant and a failed asylum claimant. It is not true to claim that asylum claimants who have cancer are no longer covered for cancer treatments under the interim federal health program. They continue to be covered for in-hospital investigation and treatment, as well as for the drugs they receive during those treatments. They also continue to be covered for all radiotherapy treatments.

[Holodomor, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this Sunday afternoon, at the Ukrainian Black Sea Hall on Welland Avenue, I will be joining local members of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress at a memorial service for the Holodomor.

As members of this House are aware, in 1932 and 1933 the Communist regime of Joseph Stalin manufactured a famine that caused the deaths of millions of Ukrainians through forced starvation. Holodomor is one of the saddest stories in history but one that must be remembered, not only to guard against future atrocities but because the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics tried long and hard to hide the Holodomor from the world and from history.

However, these tragic events happened and I am honoured to accept the invitation of local Ukrainian Canadians in St. Catharines to honour the memory of the victims of Holodomor.

Vichnaya Pamyat, in everlasting remembrance.

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we have done nothing of the sort. The official opposition calls it a waste of money. It is doing so while not understanding the purpose of media training and monitoring or what we do in terms of making sure we are listening to constituents across this country.

There are more than just one or two media outlets that present the news and present what the government is doing. In this case, when we are monitoring what the ethnic media is saying, we are ensuring that our policies are consistent and that they are the ones that those individuals and communities support across this country.

[Ethics, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it does not surprise me that this question would come from the Liberal Party, which actually does not understand how it needs to work with the communities that have come to this country to become Canadians. The Liberals have made a determination that they know what is right when it comes to immigration. Every single time we have passed new immigration law in this country, including ethnic monitoring, reaching out to each and every new Canadian in this country, we receive an increase of support.

The Liberals should get on the train and they should get on the bus, because where this country is going in immigration is the right way.

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the ministry and this government recognize the importance that Canadian families place on being united with adopted children from abroad as quickly and efficiently as possible. As the member may know, in all cases they are done on a priority basis.

There is no reason for anyone in the House to stand up and accuse this government of not doing what is absolutely right when it comes to adoption. It is about priority, placement and doing the job properly.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, CIC, is concerned, in response to (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), the interim federal health program, IFHP, is a federally funded discretionary program, under the authority of the order-in-council respecting the interim federal health program, 2012. The current reform of the IFHP was part of the economic action plan, budget 2012, and was under budget secrecy; therefore, no consultation took place with provincial and territorial governments or medical and health care associations prior to the policy decision being made. The health branch within CIC is composed of health care professionals with various backgrounds, including doctors and nurses. CIC’s health branch has the necessary expertise and is responsible for the management of the immigration medical examination worldwide as well as the interim federal health program. The changes to the IFHP were announced publicly in April 2012, before the policy came into effect on June 30, 2012. A news release announcing the reforms to the IFHP was posted on the CIC website and distributed to media in April 2012. All provincial and territorial governments, major medical and health care associations, other stakeholders and recipients of IFH at the time, were directly informed of the changes around the same time, in advance of them coming into effect. Over the last several years, CIC has received a significant amount of correspondence from Canadians who have asked that asylum seekers and protected persons no longer receive taxpayer funded benefits that are more generous than those received by the Canadian taxpayers who fund those benefits.

In response to (f), the documents developed and presented to the minister before the policy decision was taken are under cabinet confidence and will not be tabled in Parliament.

Regarding (g), the response is the provincial governments of Ontario and Québec.

In response to (h), the federal government has been monitoring the levels of health care services and products that are provided by medical professionals through the IFHP. The IFHP is not a service provider. It is not responsible for access to and delivery of health care products or services. Like any health insurance plan, it provides coverage for certain services and products.

If provinces and territories or health care professionals intend to study health outcomes associated with the changes to the IFHP, they are welcome to share those results with the department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. CIC is always interested in looking at studies related to the health of refugees and refugee claimants, as long as the methodology is sound and the results are evidence-based.

[Ethics, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns those who would use charities as a way to steal money to enrich themselves. Sadly, those who steal once often steal again.

While we will not stand by and watch anyone fleece the taxpayers, Canadians want to know what the Liberal Party of Canada has to say about the issue.

Will the Liberals assembled here, including the member for Papineau, join with us in condemning this activity or is their silence a representation of protection?