自由党当选 平权会希望自由党处理彻底平反人头税和移民安置服务议题

自由党当选，平权会希望自由党实现承诺，处理彻底平反人头税和移民安置服务等议题。

在竞选期间，平权会向各政党发送问卷，就包括彻底平反人头税等6大议题询问各政党立场。自由党在问卷中表示：“自由党政府承诺和平权会以及相关团体保持对话，从而达成和解。”

2006年6月，总理哈珀代表加拿大政府在国会就“人头税”问题道歉，并对在世的785名人头税缴纳者和遗孀进行象征性的赔偿，同时拨出款项设立“社区历史确认基金”，用于关于这段历史的教育性项目。平权会和安省华裔人头税家属联盟认为，3000名人头税缴纳者以及他们的配偶已去世，政府应对他们的家属进行赔偿。

平权会还希望自由党政府能实现它对安省移民服务机构咨议会在移民安置服务方面做出的承诺。

在联邦大选期间，自由党对安省移民服务机构咨议会(ONTARIO COUNCIL OF AGENCIES SERVING IMMIGRANTS, OCASI)问卷的回答：

1. Settlement Services

Question: How will you support the immigrant and refugee serving-sector to deliver appropriate settlement services to immigrants and refugees, and support them to reach their full social, political and economic potential?

Canada does better when everyone has a real and fair chance at success. Canada has flourished because of people coming to Canada from every corner of the world and choosing to work hard to build success for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our country’s history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world—and providing a pathway to them becoming citizens—has contributed to an ever growing, ever more diverse country. The result has been a Canada that is strong—not in spite of—but because of our differences.

Immigration has always played—and always will play—a central role in our economy. Attracting newcomers from around the world will contribute to the future success of our country. Our immigration system must do better to welcome community builders and encourage entrepreneurs.

Canada needs a new plan for our immigration system that is grounded in compassion and economic opportunity so that immigrants and refugees can build a new life for themselves in Canada and contribute to the economic success of all Canadians.

Commitments from the Liberal Party of Canada on immigration so far include:

 Ensuring a permanent pathway to citizenship for immigrants;

 Reinstating the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP);

 Fixing the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program to ensure a permanent pathway to citizenship;

 Repealing the elements of C-24 that create second-class citizens, because no elected official should have the exclusive power to grant or revoke citizenship;

 Working with the provinces and credential recognition bodies to ensure that new immigrants who have the education and work experience to work in their field have the opportunity to do so;

 Significantly expanding our refugee targets and giving more victims of war a safe haven in Canada, starting with taking immediate action on the Syrian refugee crisis by (1) expanding Canada’s intake to 25,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq through immediate, direct sponsorship by the government of Canada and also working with private sponsors to intake even more; (2) investing at least an additional $100 million this fiscal year to increase—without reducing standards—refugee processing, as well as sponsorship and settlement services capacity in Canada; and (3) providing an immediate $100 million new contribution to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to support the critical relief activities in Syria and the surrounding area.

These are just some of measures that a Liberal government will pursue to ensure the support of immigrants and refugees so that they can reach their full social, political, and economic potential. Please keep an eye on RealChange.ca for future announcements in the days ahead on a Liberal government’s plan for immigration.

2. Employment

Question: What will you do to improve the employment prospects, and pay parity for immigrants at all skill levels?

Many skilled immigrants cannot get a job in their chosen field despite the fact that they are coming to Canada with higher qualifications than ever before. There is clear evidence that recent immigrants to Canada are not succeeding in the same way immigrants did 20 years ago and better foreign credential recognition would help reverse this trend. Because many skilled immigrants cannot get a job in their chosen field, it is taking much longer for them to catch up to Canadians with similar levels of education and expertise, resulting in low income levels. At the same time, employers are suffering a shortage of specific skills and Canada’s aging population will create shortages in the future. Liberals would provide leadership on the issue of internationally trained workers and bring the provinces, provincial regulatory bodies, educational institutions, employers, unions together to improve foreign credentials recognition.

We must aggressively court skilled immigrants who, now more than ever, are being sought after by our competitor countries. Identifying the kinds of skills we need from immigrants is an important step, but it must not come at the cost of things that encourage potential immigrants. We understand the likelihood of successful family reunification plays a large role in the decision-making process of many skilled immigrants; we need to make sure they know Canada will welcome their families. The processing times for family reunification has skyrocketed under the Conservative government. We will restore Canada’s international reputation as a country that openly welcomes newcomers and work to ensure that immigrants to Canada are reunited with their families in a timely, compassionate manner.

3. Citizenship

Question: How will you ensure access to citizenship and exercise of citizenship is equitable?

Citizenship application wait times have ballooned during Mr. Harper’s time in office. Not content to quadruple fees and double processing times, the Conservatives have unnecessarily erected new barriers for aspiring citizens. We are witnessing ever more difficult language testing imposed on older potential Canadians, and the scrapping of the credit for time spent in Canada, which was previously extended to international students. In all of these areas, a combination of Conservative cynicism and budget cutbacks have abandoned those people who find themselves in the immigration system.

Over and over during the Harper decade we have heard how Canadians cannot get access to the services they need in a timely manner. A Liberal government will create new performance standards for services offered by the federal government, including streamlining applications, reducing wait times, and moneyback guarantees. Performance will be independently assessed and publicly reported, including immigration processing. After years of cuts, all of these services take too long and do not provide the service that Canadians deserve.

Liberals believe that leading this country should mean bringing Canadians together, not dividing them against one another. We will repeal the parts of Bill C-24 that introduce unnecessary barriers and hardships for people to become Canadians. With C-24, the Conservative government has created a second class of citizen—dual nationals whose Canadian citizenship can revoked by the government without due process. Liberals believe in a Canada that is united and strong not in spite of its differences, but precisely because of them. These values have been abandoned under Stephen Harper, who wants us to believe that some of us are less Canadian than others. 

Liberals believe that citizenship is a fundamental building block of Canada. No elected official should have the exclusive power to grant or revoke this most basic status. This bill devalues Canadians citizenship and undermines Canada’s economic well-being by making it harder to attract international talent and expertise to Canada.

4. Refugee sponsorship

Question: What will you do to increase the number of Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) over and above the current numbers, and to welcome more refugees to Canada through all the programs?

Canada has traditionally been a beacon of hope for the oppressed of the world, accepting tens of thousands of refugees from countries such as Hungary, Vietnam, and Uganda.

Earlier this year the Liberal Party of Canada called for the government to expand the target number of Syrian refugees to 25,000, so we can give more victims of war the opportunity to start a new life here in Canada. In response to the ongoing refugee crisis, Justin Trudeau has committed that a Liberal government would take immediate action, including dedicated funds to support settlement services.

A Liberal government would:

 Expand Canada’s intake to 25,000 refugees from Syria through immediate, direct sponsorship by the Government of Canada. We will also work with private sponsors to intakeeven more;

 Invest at least an additional $100 million this fiscal year to increase –without reducing standards –refugee processing, as well as sponsorship and settlement services capacity in Canada; and

 Provide an immediate $100 million new contribution to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to support the critical relief activities in Syria and the surrounding area.

The Conservatives have shamelessly cut basic health care services for the most vulnerable. We agree with the Supreme Court that this attack on basic health care services for the most vulnerable is unconstitutional and have been calling on the government to reverse these cuts since the government first announced them.

A Liberal government would comply with the Supreme Court’s instruction, and immediately and fully restore the Interim Federal Health Program.

Our party believes that vulnerable people who travel to Canada from abroad in search of opportunity deserve a real and fair chance at success.

5. Migrant Workers

Question: What will you do to provide a pathway to permanent residency to all migrant workers, including those recruited through the Temporary Foreign Worker, International Mobility and Seasonal Agricultural Worker programs?

The Conservatives have mismanaged the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program, allowing Canadians’ wages to be depressed and the vulnerable to be exploited. The number of TFWs more than doubled from 141,000 workers in 2005 to 338,000 in 2012.

A Liberal government will implement our five point plan to fix the TFW program and ensure it is returned to its original purpose: filling jobs when qualified Canadians cannot be found. The program should be used in exceptional situations and be dedication to the Liberal vision of immigration, creating and encouraging a pathway to citizenship for those who come to Canada to do work.

The Liberal plan for the TFW program is based on five pillars:

 create more pathways to citizenship for foreign workers;

 call in the Auditor-General to review the program;

 strengthen the Labour Market Opinion process;

 disclose which jobs are being offered to temporary foreign workers in each community; and

 require every employer to undertake an exhaustive search for Canadian workers first, particularly young workers.

6. Family reunification

Question: What will you do to remove barriers to family reunification and allow all categories of family members to reunite in Canada?

Liberals understand that family reunification is key to the retention and integration of new immigrants. This decade of Conservative failure in family reunification has unfairly taken a huge emotional and financial toll on affected families and has also damaged Canada’s international reputation as a country that openly welcomes newcomers.

Since 2007, family reunification processing times are up 70 percent for spouses and children—and up a staggering 500 percent for parents and grandparents. Processing times took a particularly sharp jump after 2011, which was the same year this Conservative government imposed crippling budget cuts. Adding insult to injury, the Conservatives also reduced the age of dependents from 22 to 18. Even worse, by limiting reunification applications to 5,000 each year, the Conservatives have effectively ended the family reunification dreams of tens of thousands of Canadian families.

Recognizing its importance to newcomer Canadians, the previous Liberal government provided concrete action on family reunification. In 2005, the Liberal government significantly increased family reunification targets for 2006. 70,517 Family Class visas were issued in 2006, including 20,005 parent and grandparent visas.

We look forward to sharing more details in the days and weeks to come. Please keep an eye onRealChange.ca for more details on the Liberal platform.

7. Residents without Immigration Status

Question: What is your position on the regularization of residents without full immigration status?

A Liberal government will restore compassion to the immigration system. Our commitment to improving government service will ensure that residents applying for immigration status receive timely and accurate service and access to appeals through the Immigration and Refugee Board. Liberals recognize that many residents fall through the cracks in the immigration system through no fault of their own. We will rely on evidence—not ideology—to deal with these cases with the compassion and reason they deserve.