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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY
THE HONOURABLE MONTE SOLBERG
MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION

at a meeting of theStanding Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Ottawa, Ontario
June 7, 2006

Check against delivery

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Good afternoon, Mr./Madame Chair and honourable members.

Over a month ago, I was pleased to outline the challenges before this government and this committee of Parliament, in terms of welcoming newcomers to Canada.

I sincerely welcome my second opportunity to appear before this committee and once again seek your help and guidance in meeting those challenges. A major step towards that goal is to review with you the changes in the department’s Main Estimates since last year and to seek your support for this funding.

Before we address those changes, I would like to perhaps outline my goal for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

I believe that, working in partnership, we can substantially improve the process we use to attract and provide service to those who choose Canada as their new home. I will see that the department improves the efficiency of our programs and operations. We will demonstrate to new immigrants that our policies present and promote opportunities for a new life. And I assure all members that fairness will always be a fundamental principle that guides our responses to the often desperate plight of legitimate refugees and their families.

I believe that the discussion of these Main Estimates presents all of us with a unique opportunity to truly work together in the best interests and spirit of our parliamentary democracy, and demonstrate to those contemplating becoming new Canadians, that we are worthy of their choice and trust.

Immigration is about the future of our country. A well managed and welcoming immigration system contributes greatly to our demography, to our economy and to our social and cultural diversity by making Canada a sound socio-cultural model for the rest of the world to admire.

Yet, settlement services funding was frozen in 1996. As levels increased in the late 90s and the early years of this decade, resources were stretched even further. It’s no surprise the provinces were desperate for resources.

This is why we are focusing much of our attention and our financial resources on the issue of integration. A well-managed immigration system should be able to welcome immigrants quickly and help them succeed. You will note that we have dedicated resources towards this goal. In fact, let me make it quite clear that this year we are working towards reaching the high end of the Government’s planning range for admitting newcomers — which, as you know, is around 255,000 persons. We feel this is good for Canada and in fact, this intake will help address the labour shortages that we are facing.

But as I have said, the goal of this government is not merely to land a planned number of immigrants. It is to focus on outcomes and ensure that every newcomer has a good start. This government will work to ensure immigrants are supported in their efforts to adapt and become contributors to our society.

Research shows that at the beginning of the 1980s, two-thirds of skilled workers earned more than the Canadian average income one year after their arrival. By 1996, that had fallen to just four per cent. This is a loss both to the individuals and their families, and to Canada as a whole. We simply have to do a better job of ensuring that our new citizens land on their feet when they get here.

This is also why the government is seriously looking into how to best recognize and utilize foreign credentials. We have all heard the stories of engineers and doctors driving taxis — even when there is an acute demand for precisely their skills and experience. Canada can do better — and it will.

We have committed $18 million in the 2006 budget to take on this issue. The money will help us to work with our provincial partners toward the creation of a new agency that will support the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials. I will speak more of this initiative later in my remarks.

Members can appreciate and recognize that a government’s Main Estimates are, by their very nature, very broad outlines of a government’s funding intentions in support of stated and agreed policies over a period of one year. I wish to be transparent and accountable. I am eager to answer your questions about what are in the Main Estimates to the best of my ability. And, I am prepared to address your questions about items you may have expected to see here, but that are anticipated for the fall supplements.

Let me begin by giving you the big picture of the overall expenditures and then I will break down the changes so you will be able to see where the principal ones have occurred.

Item 1

Under Item 1, members will note that Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Main Estimates for 2006-2007 are $1,226.8M, a net increase of $392.9M from the previous fiscal year.

I would again ask committee members to note that individual items — items that I understand could be of a direct and deep interest — are not displayed separately in the Main Estimates — with the exception of Grants and Contributions.

Under Item 1, resources related to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative — more commonly known as the TWRI — in the amount of $115.8M will be transferred to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat in the 2006-07 Supplementary Estimates, as a result of the change in responsibility in this project.

Item 2

As mentioned previously, there will be an increase of $392.9M in the department’s Main Estimates over the previous fiscal year. I would, however, want to point out that this figure is actually $277M, when one takes into account the transfer of $115.8M related to the TWRI. The $277M represents an increase to CIC of 33% over last year’s Main Estimates.

I know some members of this committee have expressed concern that CIC is not one of the new Conservative government’s stated five priorities. There are words, and there is action. I believe you will agree with me that a 1/3^rd increase shows this government’s commitment to CIC’s mandate and our shared goals.

This budgetary increase is in a large part due to the following:

• Additional settlement funding to immigrant outcomes in provinces outside of Quebec (Ontario – $110.5M; others – $42.3M); and
• Additional resources for escalation costs under the Grant for the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration ($14.6M)
• Funding of $77.2M has been earmarked to address short-term pressures in the areas of Citizenship inventory, parents and grandparents, and international students.
• $7.6M has been dedicated to improving our service to clients, including the “Going to Canada” website.
• An additional $16.8M will help address the on-going shortfall in funding for the Interim Federal Health (IFH) program which provides temporary health coverage for refugee-claimants, convention refugees and persons under immigration detention.
• As part of a broader initiative that includes partners such as the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Department of Justice and the Canada Border Service Agency, CIC will receive $2.9M to support enhancement of the refugee determination system including faster processing, a reduction in pending caseloads and the speeding up of grants of permanent residence for persons recognized as refugees.

Item 3

Members should note that the 2006-07 Main Estimates include reductions due to government-wide reallocation initiatives from the 2003 federal budget; transfers related to the creation of the Canada Border Service Agency and the sunsetting of funding related to the Global Case Management System (GCMS) project.

I would be remiss, Mr./Madame Chair, if I did not briefly mention some other progressive initiatives that the government is adopting, all of which focus on improving outcomes for immigrants:

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee

The RPRF has been reduced by half from $975 to $490 for immigrants who become permanent residents under all social, humanitarian and economic classes.

Amendment to the Citizenship Act

To keep our promise to support Canadian families wishing to adopt foreign-born children, we have recently introduced legislation that will make it easier for such children adopted by Canadian parents to become Canadian citizens once the adoption is finalized.

Foreign Students

Approximately 100,000 foreign students currently studying in Canada can now apply for off-campus work permits.

Foreign Credentials

And, we are also taking steps to establish the Canadian Agency for the Assessment of Foreign Credentials. Though this agency is not within my mandate, I would like indicate my support for the initiative spear-headed by Minister Diane Finley.

We need to ensure that barriers to an efficient and flexible labour market such as the lack of recognition of hard-earned, but foreign, credentials are reviewed, and where warranted, removed.

Mr./Madame Chair, honourable members, I have outlined my goals for improved policies and operations that can only serve to strengthen CIC’s mandate and performance.

My view and goal is quite simple: The better the job we do at helping newcomers integrate into Canadian society, the better it is for immigrants and, in the final analysis, the better it is for Canada and Canadians.

I believe that our funding intentions reflect the deep commitment that the Government has made to better support newcomers to Canada and to ensure they can fully contribute to our communities and economy.

As I stated before, the introduction and approval today of the department’s Main Estimates, estimates that provide significant and additional funding, will be a vitally important first step towards meeting those important objectives.

Mr./Madame Chair, this is a strong beginning. Once again, I would like to thank you for allowing me to share my vision of the future of CIC. I look forward to working with the committee.

Thank you, Merci.