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Speaking remarks for the
Honourable Monte Solberg
Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration

on the

Announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Canada and British Columbia concerning the Provincial Nominee Program

Vancouver, British Columbia
August 22, 2006

Check against delivery

* * * * *

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

I would first like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Allan Born, the Chairman of Tekion Inc., for agreeing to host this unique event.

I have seen first-hand the Canadian success story which Tekion Inc. represents — a success story which was possible only because of the entrepreneurial spirit and determination of people such as you, the people who make up Tekion, and the strong partnership between British Columbians and their fellow Canadians.

I would also like to mention the key and central role that Minister Hansen — British Columbia’s Minister responsible for Economic Development — has played in making today’s announcement a reality.

Colin, your strong belief in and support for this initiative has been an example of how governments can cooperate, to the lasting benefit for our citizens.

Make no mistake. Federal-provincial cooperation is key to the success of Canada’s immigration program.

I know that Prime Minister Harper and Premier Campbell would join me in expressing a heartfelt thank you for a job well done.

For five years, British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program — the PNP — has been attracting and sponsoring immigrants and providing them with the opportunity to apply their entrepreneurial skills and contribute directly to vital economic growth in this province and Canada. The PNP allows B.C. to identify potential immigrants with specific skills important for the province’s economic development. That selection allows my department to process those immigration applications as a priority.

Since 2001, over 2,000 nominees and their dependants have not only made an investment in and a commitment to British Columbia, but they have made it their home as well.

They have contributed their expertise and taken leading roles in various industries and sectors such as health care, high technology and skilled trades within British Columbia.

Today, we take great pleasure in announcing a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Canada and the Province of British Columbia which will launch a pilot project that will build upon the success of the PNP.

This pilot project will allow B.C. and Citizenship and Immigration Canada to identify people who have already applied to come to Canada as entrepreneurs. We will look at that inventory of applicants, consider potential matches for B.C.’s program and try to steer them to the PNP program for priority processing.

The goal is straightforward. Help B.C. get the entrepreneurs it needs faster.

I take great pride in saying, and will never stop believing, that Canada remains a land of opportunity for anyone who believes in themselves and the art of the possible.

Allan Born, you are living proof of that idea. You came to us from our closest friend and neighbour, the United States. You have built a dynamic company that has developed leading-edge technology in the vital area of fuel cell technology. Canada is a world leader in this fast-growing area, with a significant cluster of expertise here in B.C. But we cannot take our world-leading position for granted, and so the ability to attract entrepreneurs such as you, is clearly important to our economy. Not just in the fuel cell industry, but in many other sectors as well.

That’s what today’s announcement is about.

Ladies and gentlemen, in closing, I would just like to take the opportunity to once again reinforce a message that I have been spreading across our great country since my appointment as Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

This government promised to focus on five key priorities for Canadians.

We’re making good on that promise by:

• cleaning up government by enacting and enforcing the Federal Accountability Act;
• lowering taxes for working Canadians, starting by reducing the GST;
• protecting Canadian families and communities by strengthening the justice system;
• supporting parents’ child-care choices through direct assistance and by creating more daycare spaces; and
• delivering the health care Canadians need, when they need it, by addressing the fiscal imbalance and establishing a patient wait times guarantee with the provinces.

We are a country blessed with resources — both natural and human — that are the envy of the world. In my conversations with Canadians, I have repeatedly outlined my belief that by building a better Canada — by delivering on those five priorities — the easier it is to build a better immigration system for newcomers to Canadian society, and it is a “win-win” situation for all of Canada and all Canadians.

Towards those two important goals, it is with a great sense of pride that I look back at what we have accomplished.

In seven short months, we have:

• committed $307 million in additional funding for settlement services to help newcomers integrate and excel in Canada;
• lessened the financial burden facing newcomers by reducing the right of permanent residence fee by half, from $975 to $490;
• adopted new measures to help victims of a terrible crime — human trafficking — by granting them temporary residence and access to interim federal help.
• kept our promise to support Canadian families who adopt foreign-born children by introducing legislation that will make it easier for such children to become Canadian citizens;
• made it possible for the approximately 100,000 foreign students currently studying in Canada to apply for off-campus work permits — a significant talent pool to draw from;
• committed $18 million towards the establishment of an agency to address the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials; and
• established temporary foreign worker units both here in Vancouver and Calgary which will be another initiative we have implemented to address the labour market shortage.

That is a report card I will take home any day!!

Ladies and gentlemen, today’s announcement is another important step towards our goal of making immigration work for Canadians. I look forward to our continued collaboration — for at the end of the day, that is our greatest strength and the wellspring of our unrivalled potential.

Thank you.