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OTTAWA — To hear Liberals tell it, the Conservative government's immigration reforms are a shocking, sneaky, anti-immigrant insult to the ideals that make Canada great.
But are they offensive enough to warrant an election? Maybe not.
After spending a great deal of Monday's question period in the House of Commons heaving epithets at the new immigration legislation, the Liberals indicated they might still let it pass.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion declared that there is no way his party would ever support the changes – but then swiftly added a caveat.
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“The decision to go in an election or not belongs to me … and I will use this power that I have to decide when we'll go in an election,” Mr. Dion said outside the House.
It's an election issue because the Conservatives have included the immigration measures in a larger budget-implementation bill – which must pass or the government will fall.
The Liberals have habitually abstained from voting on potential election triggers like the Throne Speech, the federal budget, a confidence motion on crime, and an NDP non-confidence motion. The immigration changes could be the next example.
Mr. Dion explained that when the Liberals boycott confidence votes to avoid an election, they're signalling which Tory policies they would like to overturn when they become the government.
“Each time that we vote against something without triggering an election it's a marker,” Mr. Dion told reporters.
“That means that when we will be the government with the help of Canadians, we'll change this bad policies by much better policies.”
The reforms would give the immigration minister the authority to fast-track some types of applications from highly coveted immigrants such as skilled workers. They would also give the minister the authority to put a cap on the number of applications from less-skilled immigrants that the government would even agree to look at.
Such a move could allow the government to trim some of the 800,000-person backlog in cases, which create long waiting times that make Canada a less attractive destination for highly skilled workers.
Mr. Dion said one of the things that makes Canada great is that everyone has an equal right to apply to live here, and the Conservative bill sends a bleak message to prospective immigrants.
“Why is the government telling the world: ‘Immigrants need not apply?' ” he asked.
The NDP, which has said it will vote against the legislation, has also called the immigration reforms discriminatory.
The New Democrats are also angry that the immigration measures are included in the budget-implementation bill.
“The Conservatives have once again stolen a page from the American playbook – hiding major legislation in a budget bill is not part of Canada's parliamentary tradition,” MP Tom Mulcair said.
“There are dozens of members of this House of Commons who were born in other countries. The next generation of leaders might well be barred at the door.
“Why not deport the American tactics instead and fix the system?”
Immigration Minister Diane Finley has declined to answer two questions: Would she use her power to block certain applications? And if so, what types of foreigners would the measure be aimed at?
Finley has urged the opposition to pass the legislation, and says any future policy instructions would be transparent and announced before Parliament.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed little patience for opposition insinuations that his government dislikes immigrants.
Mr. Harper said the bill is aimed at getting foreigners in faster, by curbing a backlog that leaves people on waiting lists for years while Canadian jobs are going unfilled.
“That [status quo] is unacceptable to Canada. It is unfair to immigrants,” Mr. Harper said.
“We are getting the system reformed so that immigrants are treated fairly and get to this country as quickly as they do in our competing countries that are letting in immigrants a lot more quickly than we are. We need them. That is what we are doing.”
He said his government has slashed in half the $975 immigration landing fee introduced by the Liberals.
The Tories have also noted that a record number of foreigners – including temporary workers and students, as well as landed immigrants – were allowed into Canada last year.
But the Liberals asked why, if Conservatives like immigration so much, have fewer immigrants been coming to Canada since they took office?
In 2005, the last year before they took office, 262,236 new permanent residents arrived in Canada. That number fell in 2006 to 251,649, and it fell again to 236,689 in 2007.
“Over the past two years 36,000 fewer landed immigrants have been allowed into Canada,” Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua said.
“We cannot afford to shut the door on immigrants.”
