IMMIGRATION BILL DEBATE CONTINUES

The debate over the proposed changes to the Immigration and refugee Protection Act continues unabated, bout despite all the hoopla and Liberal grandstanding, it seems that the Tories will manage to pass the legislation and have called the opposition's bluff: a vote of non-confidence seems most unlikely, and therefore no election will be called over this issue....I told you so :-)

Bill won't shut out immigrants, Tories insist

Opposition fears are unfounded, government says

Andrew Mayeda, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, April 09, 2008


OTTAWA - The Harper government went on a charm offensive to demystify its controversial immigration bill yesterday, insisting the proposed changes are designed to reduce a massive backlog of visa applications, not close the door to immigrants.

Federal officials also shot down speculation by the opposition that the government will use the law to shut out immigrants of certain ethnic or religious backgrounds. Such a policy is out of the question, as it would violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, officials say.

The government last month tabled a bill that would amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to remove the Immigration Department's obligation to process all visa applications and allow the Immigration Minister to instruct visa officers to fast-track certain types of applications.

Department officials say the changes are essential if the visa backlog, which has reached about 925,000 applications, is to be eliminated.

Liberals have repeatedly attacked the bill in the House of Commons, accusing the Conservatives of seeking a back-door way to enforce an anti-immigrant agenda. The NDP has tabled an amendment to the bill, which has been rolled into the broader budget-implementation bill, that would effectively kill the changes. Since the budget bill is considered a matter of confidence in the government, its defeat would trigger an election. The House of Commons is expected to vote on the NDP amendment as early today.

Conservatives have responded to opposition accusations by pointing to the record number of immigrants entering Canada since the Tories came to office. Yesterday, a senior Immigration official said the department has concluded the existing visa-processing system is "simply not flexible enough to meet labour-market needs," and can only be repaired by legislative changes.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley yesterday promised implementation of the bill will follow principles that "ensure fairness" and respect the objectives of the Immigration Act, namely to support the economy, help families reunite and uphold Canada's humanitarian commitments.

"These principles will ensure ministerial instructions today and in the future remain fair, open and transparent," she said in a statement.

Under the new law, the Minister is expected to issue annual instructions on "categories" of applications that should be fast-tracked, such as those from high-demand professionals such as doctors. The Minister will decide which categories to prioritize based on input from the provinces and territories, the Bank of Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, as well as employers and labour unions.