Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, we are well aware that this move will have an impact on employees and their families. We will continue to do everything we can to minimize that impact. People currently working at the centre will be able to keep their jobs at the new office, which will be about 100 k

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our government's commitment to welcoming those fleeing war, terror, and persecution. There were several parts to the member's question. Our government committed to establishing a sound, fair, and compassionate asylum system. The board recently introdu

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our government's commitment to welcoming those fleeing war, terror, and persecution. Our government committed to establishing a sound, fair, and compassionate asylum system. The Citizenship Commission recently introduced new measures, including shorter

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, as you know, Canada's refugee system is widely recognized as one of the most compassionate in the world. We acknowledge that there is room for improvement to further enhance refugee protection while ensuring that we preserve the integrity of Canada's asylum system.

Child Care  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that this is an important issue for the member opposite, as it is for me. I have two young children and I know how much families need these new services. Our Canada child benefit will help lift more than 300,000 children out of poverty by 2017, which rep

Child Care  Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for raising, in the House, the important question of child care in Canada, particularly the high costs in certain regions. Studies show that the affordability and quality of day care available f

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, once again, tonight's adjournment debate is on the question of refugee resettlement. As I said before, these people need a little time to adapt to life in Canada and their communities. That is especially true for Syrian refugees who fled places plagued by a devastat

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across the way might be a bit disappointed in my response, but the adjournment question that was asked this evening was on Syrian refugee resettlement. I will stick to that subject. Some refugees arrive in Canada broken by the civil war in their co

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, as you know, our government is committed to supporting a sustainable, humane, and well-regulated seal hunt. This commitment is in keeping with the government's priorities, which include a renewed relationship with Canada's indigenous communities and inclusive growth

Canadian Coast Guard  Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers keep our waters safe and accessible to vessels carrying people and goods to and from Canadian ports. The Coast Guard works closely with the marine industry, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporatio

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member across the way that the government is aware of the case. It is currently under review. As the hon. member surely knows, every case is different and Canadian privacy laws prevent us from commenting on specific cases without the permis

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his interest in francophone immigration. Very early on in its mandate, our government reinstated the Mobilité francophone immigration program, which was cancelled prematurely by the previous government. This prog

Refugees, Citizenship and Immigration  Mr. Speaker, we are committed to fulfilling our obligations under the Official Languages Act. Language testing is used when individuals apply to certain permanent residence programs as economic immigrants. Our department is looking for ways to level the accessibility playing fie

Alcide Boucher  Mr. Speaker, it was with incredible sadness that I learned of the passing of Alcide Boucher of Bas-Caraquet at the age of 86. Mr. Boucher was very involved in his community. He served as a municipal councillor in Bas-Caraquet and a member of the local school board for many years

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I said for the hon. member's benefit. The safe third country agreement is based on the UNHCR-accepted principle that individuals should seek asylum in the first country they arrive in. Again, as the minister said yesterday in the House, the head