Harper Throne Speech fails ordinary immigrant
families
Four
thousand words in Stephen Harper’s Throne Speech and not a single
meaningful mention of the issues facing ordinary immigrant families.
Harper showed Canadians he cannot be trusted.
By extending
the search and kill mission in Afghanistan until 2011, foregoing serious
action on the environment, and completely ignoring the growing prosperity
gap that deeply impacts immigrant families, Stephen Harper’s
Conservatives are taking Canada in the wrong direction. That is why I, as
a member Jack Layton’s NDP, am going to vote against the Throne Speech.
What
Layton’s team considers to be essential issues regarding immigration
that should have been included by Harper’s conservatives in the Throne
Speech are the following:
1. A
solution to fix the immigration system by immediately expediting the
bureaucratic sponsorship process, expanding eligibility criteria, and
reducing wait times. An injection of fairness in the system is necessary
to ensure more relatives can come to Canada, resulting in more family
reunifications.
2. The
standardization of the visitor visa program so that visitors to this
country are not arbitrarily rejected. The NDP would expand the program
criteria to include humanitarian considerations so families are together
on important occasions like weddings or birth of a grandchild, and in
cases of sickness.
3. Finally,
and most importantly, the NDP is committed to changing the immigration
system to accelerate the recognition of foreign credentials and previous
employment experience. We need to ensure that new immigrants can get
well-paying jobs that use their talents, expertise and skills.
Currently,
the immigration system is broken. When applying for immigration to Canada,
the existing point system gives credit to specialized degrees and levels
of education, while acknowledging relevant work experience. However, when
immigrants arrive in Canada prepared to work as doctors, engineers or
teachers, their foreign credentials are simply not recognized.
There is a
growing need for more professionals in the fields of medicine, engineering
and education. Canada’s productivity is slipping and we are facing a
serious shortage of skilled workers. Currently, foreign-trained immigrant
professionals are facing 5 billion dollars in lost earnings because their
credentials are not recognized.
Unfortunately,
Stéphane Dion's and the Liberals are missing in action. They have
decided to throw their votes away and allow Harper’s misguided agenda to
pass. Dion’s actions will give Stephen Harper a mandate to govern as if
he had a majority government. Dion is acting like a student who is so weak
and unprepared for a final exam that he decides to skip school. That is
not leadership.
Jack
Layton’s NDP understands the needs of ordinary Canadian immigrant
families. Together with the many dedicated volunteers and leaders of
diverse ethno-racial communities, we will work for a fair, peaceful and
prosperous Canada.
Olivia Chow
NDP Member
of Parliament
Trinity
Spadina
Citizenship and Immigration Critic
