StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-
April 14, 2011
For immediate release
Conservatives to Continue Leading on Immigration, Commit to Reducing Liberal Wait Times for Family Class
Toronto – Conservative candidate Jason Kenney today highlighted the Conservative record of welcoming historic numbers of immigrants, and reversing 13 years of Liberal neglect of Canada’s immigration system.
“Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has welcomed record numbers of newcomers to Canada, and reversed years of Liberal neglect of our immigration system. If re-elected, we will continue to make needed improvements to Canada’s immigration system because we believe that when newcomers succeed, Canada succeeds,” Kenney said.
“Sadly, when the last Liberal government came to office, they slashed immigration
by one third, cutting family immigration by 38% in their first five years in office. By contrast, the Harper government has increased immigration to historic highs, welcoming 281,000 newcomers last year, the highest level in six decades.”
Kenney pointed out that the Liberal record of neglect on immigration left a backlog of 829,565 applications, including 108,000 in the parents / grandparents category alone. “When our government came to office, we inherited huge backlogs and long waiting times, such as an average 64 month wait time for the parental sponsorship category. But the Liberals have never even acknowledged the problems that they created.”
Kenney contrasted the Liberal and Conservative records on immigration:
· Liberals imposed a $975 right of landing fee on newcomers. Conservatives cut it in half, saving newcomers more than $300 million.
· Liberals froze funding for immigrant settlement services for 13 years. Conservatives tripled funding for these important programs, from $1000 to $3000 per immigrant.
· Liberals cut immigration levels by one third in their first five years in office. Conservatives have increased immigration to the highest level in decades.
· Liberals slashed family immigration by 38%, creating a backlog of 160,000 family class sponsorship applications, including 108,000 for the parents / grandparents category. Conservatives have increased family immigration levels.
· Liberals did nothing to help foreign trained professionals get their credentials recognized. Conservatives have invested in pre-arrival advice for these newcomers, supported mentorship and skills upgrading programs, and led the provinces in developing streamlined procedures for credential recognition.
· Liberals failed to take action against crooked immigration consultants. Conservatives brought in the Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act, a new and more accountable regulator for consultants, and worked with foreign governments to protect consumers.
· Liberals failed to address Canada’s broken asylum system. Conservatives are introducing sweeping reforms through the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, while cracking down on human smuggling.
Kenney re-affirmed that a re-elected Conservative government will increase immigration of sponsored family members in 2011. “Our 2011 Immigration Levels Plan, tabled before Parliament, includes an increase in our planning range for sponsored family members to as many as 65,500. It also plans for as many as 17,500 sponsored parents and grandparents.”
“There has been a great deal of misinformation spread about this commitment, so I would like to clarify that a re-elected Conservative government will increase the number of parents and grandparents admitted in 2011. That means that we will admit more parents and grandparents than the 15,300 who came to Canada in 2010. There will be no cuts.”
Kenney also reiterated that a re-elected Conservative government will take action to reduce wait times for sponsored family members. “The Harper government took bold steps to reverse the Liberal backlog and wait times in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. A re-elected Conservative government will show the same determination by consulting stakeholders to develop and implement an Action Plan for Faster Family Sponsorship to reduce the wait times for family class sponsored relatives.”
“It is shameful that the opposition coalition parties have been using fear and misinformation on the sensitive issue of immigration. Our government has a proven track record of welcoming the largest number of immigrants – including family members – in our history.
For immediate release
Conservatives to Continue Leading on Immigration, Commit to Reducing Liberal Wait Times for Family Class
Toronto – Conservative candidate Jason Kenney today highlighted the Conservative record of welcoming historic numbers of immigrants, and reversing 13 years of Liberal neglect of Canada’s immigration system.
“Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has welcomed record numbers of newcomers to Canada, and reversed years of Liberal neglect of our immigration system. If re-elected, we will continue to make needed improvements to Canada’s immigration system because we believe that when newcomers succeed, Canada succeeds,” Kenney said.
“Sadly, when the last Liberal government came to office, they slashed immigration
by one third, cutting family immigration by 38% in their first five years in office. By contrast, the Harper government has increased immigration to historic highs, welcoming 281,000 newcomers last year, the highest level in six decades.”
Kenney pointed out that the Liberal record of neglect on immigration left a backlog of 829,565 applications, including 108,000 in the parents / grandparents category alone. “When our government came to office, we inherited huge backlogs and long waiting times, such as an average 64 month wait time for the parental sponsorship category. But the Liberals have never even acknowledged the problems that they created.”
Kenney contrasted the Liberal and Conservative records on immigration:
· Liberals imposed a $975 right of landing fee on newcomers. Conservatives cut it in half, saving newcomers more than $300 million.
· Liberals froze funding for immigrant settlement services for 13 years. Conservatives tripled funding for these important programs, from $1000 to $3000 per immigrant.
· Liberals cut immigration levels by one third in their first five years in office. Conservatives have increased immigration to the highest level in decades.
· Liberals slashed family immigration by 38%, creating a backlog of 160,000 family class sponsorship applications, including 108,000 for the parents / grandparents category. Conservatives have increased family immigration levels.
· Liberals did nothing to help foreign trained professionals get their credentials recognized. Conservatives have invested in pre-arrival advice for these newcomers, supported mentorship and skills upgrading programs, and led the provinces in developing streamlined procedures for credential recognition.
· Liberals failed to take action against crooked immigration consultants. Conservatives brought in the Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act, a new and more accountable regulator for consultants, and worked with foreign governments to protect consumers.
· Liberals failed to address Canada’s broken asylum system. Conservatives are introducing sweeping reforms through the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, while cracking down on human smuggling.
Kenney re-affirmed that a re-elected Conservative government will increase immigration of sponsored family members in 2011. “Our 2011 Immigration Levels Plan, tabled before Parliament, includes an increase in our planning range for sponsored family members to as many as 65,500. It also plans for as many as 17,500 sponsored parents and grandparents.”
“There has been a great deal of misinformation spread about this commitment, so I would like to clarify that a re-elected Conservative government will increase the number of parents and grandparents admitted in 2011. That means that we will admit more parents and grandparents than the 15,300 who came to Canada in 2010. There will be no cuts.”
Kenney also reiterated that a re-elected Conservative government will take action to reduce wait times for sponsored family members. “The Harper government took bold steps to reverse the Liberal backlog and wait times in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. A re-elected Conservative government will show the same determination by consulting stakeholders to develop and implement an Action Plan for Faster Family Sponsorship to reduce the wait times for family class sponsored relatives.”
“It is shameful that the opposition coalition parties have been using fear and misinformation on the sensitive issue of immigration. Our government has a proven track record of welcoming the largest number of immigrants – including family members – in our history.
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