Immigration Legislation may force Election

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Subject: Immigration Legislation may force Election
  Move on budget bill could force election
NDP against including immigration changes
GLORIA GALLOWAY
From Thursday´s Globe and Mail
March 19, 2008 at 9:23 PM EDT
OTTAWA ? The New Democrats are preparing to force St?phane Dion´s Liberals to take the country into an election or vote for a bill that lawyers say will strip transparency from the immigration system and deny basic rights to foreigners hoping to come to Canada.

Olivia Chow, the NDP Immigration critic, said yesterday that she will introduce an amendment to omnibus 136-page budget legislation that includes two pages of changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ? a law bought in by the Liberals in 2002.

Because they are included in the budget bill, the proposals will not get separate debates in Parliament, nor will they be examined by a House of Commons committee. But they will be considered a matter of confidence.

Voting against the bill ? or voting for Ms. Chow´s amendment ? would plunge the country into an election.

?It should be a separate immigration act so that there is decent consultation and discussion. Instead, it just gets stuck in a budget implementation bill where it doesn´t belong,? Ms. Chow said. As a stand-alone bill, she said, it would not be passed by the minority Parliament.

The Liberals have ducked every opportunity to take down Stephen Harper´s Conservative government. Maurizio Bevilacqua, the Liberal immigration critic, was unwilling to say yesterday that his party is prepared to take the plunge. But he is no fan of what is being proposed.

?It is incredible that they went as far as they did. It´s absolutely astounding that they would do this,? he said. ?It´s just bad public policy.?

Immigration Minister Diane Finley defends the changes, saying something must be done to fix a system that is not working.
?In some places, we are only now starting to process applications that we received six years ago,? she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

?In the meantime [the applicants] have gone somewhere else, they have decided not to come to Canada, they may even have passed away. But under the existing legislation, we have to process that application from start to finish anyway. That is not responsible. It´s not a good use of taxpayers´ money and it´s certainly not helping us to get the immigrants that we need.

?The minister said that, once the changes have been explained to members of Canada´s immigrant communities, they agree that they are good news for newcomers.

Ms. Chow, who met yesterday in Toronto with representatives of more than 30 different immigrant groups and organizations, disagrees. ?They are up in arms,? she said.

Toronto lawyer David Garson said the Conservative proposals would ?eviscerate? the Immigration Act. The Conservatives want the immigration minister to be able to cap the list of people waiting to be accepted into Canada ? a list that is more than 900,000 names long. They would allow the government to reject an applicant that had been approved by immigration officers. And the minister could make decisions about immigration policy that, under the current system, require regulatory changes, Mr. Garson said.

?We live in a democracy governed ostensibly by a set of rules and regulations that we have come to be familiar with,? Mr. Garson said. ?If you go around those to determine how you best can deal with something in a government, I think that you are circumventing our democratic system.?

Ms. Finley takes issue with the allegation that there is a lack of transparency to what she is trying to achieve. The bill requires that any priorities set by the minister be published in the Canada Gazette, she said.

Roy
www.cvimmigration.com

[20-03-2008,10:22]
[**.55.219.32]
Roy
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
Its funny, the last time I mentioned this I was scorned upon by you as not knowing anything about Canadian politics, how quickly can we jump fences... truly amazing !... looks like we have come a full circle today.

On a side note, if there is an early election I don´t see anything but another minority govt. Many liberal voters are actually happy with the budget.

The Conservatives were nominally ahead of the Liberals 31-30. The poll was taken on March 1-2, 2008 shortly after the federal budget and if Mr. Harper had a choice, he will prefer early elections I think.

On a different subject, Bank of Canada has warned that a slowing US economy may have a bigger than anticipated impact on Canada... (Source - The Canadian)

[20-03-2008,13:28]
[***.242.242.2]
Raj
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
I think the legislation will pass. We are getting some serious political theatre here. this is the only chance the NDP can scream and be heard.

As for the economy, the national news last night indicated that BC and Alberta will not feel the US downturn nearly as much as Ontario. The bigger concern here is post Olympics.

[20-03-2008,14:45]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
What about the Canadians (there is a whole bunch in this group) who seem to demand that immigration be stopped until new proper policies are worked out? This group seems to object, particularly, to immigration from the third world! Their argument is that the 3rd world folks are not assimilating and creating segregated neighborhoods.
[20-03-2008,15:29]
[***.202.38.47]
Elvii
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
Elvii,
They are not against immigration, they are just of the opinion that the new immigrants are lacking in English speaking skills and motivation to succeed in Canada. The English part is a reality in general and has to be dealt by the immigrants themselves, although most skilled immigrants these days have pretty good English skills. Its the "lack of motivation" part that I don´t agree with them on.

As far as segregating is concerned, I think its fairly common among the immigrants, in some cases even natives too, but as their children grow up it will disappear in the next generation. This is true no matter where you go, even in the USA.

[20-03-2008,15:48]
[***.242.242.2]
Raj
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
Dearest Raj

What are you talking about? I have always said that this legislation may fail on the order paper. The thread was started by me from an article in the Globe and Mail. I did not post that I agreed with it or disagreed with it.

Did I really pounce on you? Don´t remember.

Below is the evidence.

http://www.canada-city.ca/canada-immigration/posting.php?messageid=23124


Roy
www.cvimmigration.com

[20-03-2008,16:06]
[**.158.53.207]
Roy
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
Afterall said and done, CANADA IS A HELL ON FROZEN EARTH! Whether you get job or not is crap, it is now supposed to be the start of Spring... but if you are looking for spring water, keep lookin... All ya goin to find is friggin snow and ice allover the goddam country. That is Canada for you. So my advice: find a better country, such as the US or New Zealand.
[20-03-2008,16:10]
[***.202.38.47]
Elvii
(in reply to: Immigration Legislation may force Election)
Elvii, I don´t know who you are or where you come from but you are a twit and you obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

the new rules do nothing to change how many immigrants are allowed into Canada. the new rules do not change where people come from.

For the record, all of Canada is not covered in snow.

my advice, stop making yourself look stupid with your half baked remarks.

[20-03-2008,16:52]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon
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