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Ottawa to ease immigration rules for workers, students

STEVEN CHASE

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:51 AM EST 15/08/08

Plan aims to retain skilled employees ...Read the full article

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  1. I. C. from Brunei Darussalam writes: Good. An immigration policy for the greater good of Canada. As opposed to a Tammany Hall approach which has led to ethno-political balkanisation.
  2. I R from White Rock, BC, Canada writes: This sounds like a good policy. Strange that the Harper government had nearly 3 years to introduce something and only do it now in the twilight of their reign. One could be cynical and say it is an election ploy. Even so, immigration reform is the future of our economy and how the retiring baby boomers are going to be supported.

    I.C., I have no idea what you mean by 'ethno-political balkanisation', but it sounds an awful like a label that could be adopted by those who advocate racial profiling for immigration. I hope that is not what you mean, for it could be construed as racism.
  3. spicydoc--That'll do, spicydoc, that'll do... from Canada writes:

    Superb progress on an important issue.

    Ignatieff is touring the country collecting opinions for an updated LPC immigration policy. It won't surprize me at all if the new Tory plans are what people want to see. I hope Ignatieff makes an 'It's an improvement, but we should do better' statement; it would concede the obvious.

    These measures should be welcomed by all parties.

    Olivia Chow's 'elitist' diss is the mandatory NDP reacton--deep down I suspect she approves.
  4. Chilled One from Canada writes: For decades we educated foreign students, even subsidized their educations, then sent them home. NOW we are going to change this and encourage them and make it easier for them to stay and contribute to Canadian society???? Talk about closing the proverbial barn doors after the horses have escaped.
  5. Journey Man from Canada writes: Everyone seems so concerned about this issue akk of a sudden.

    Meanwhile, approximately 25% of our own kids are not even graduating from highschool, let alone pursuing post-secondary education or a skilled trade.

    Canada needs more skilled trades, technical specialists, nurses and other medical specialists for example. (Just take a look at the help wanted ads.) Why is this not the priority? Are our own children destined to be the truck-drivers and counter-help at Tim Horton's while our governments scramble to fill the 'good' jobs with foreigners?
  6. spicydoc--That'll do, spicydoc, that'll do... from Canada writes:

    I R from White Rock, BC, Canada writes:

    'This sounds like a good policy. Strange that the Harper government had nearly 3 years to introduce something and only do it now in the twilight of their reign.'

    IR, the CPC have been working on this for a couple of years. You might recall that the bill had to be buried in the Budget Implementation Bill to get passed.

    The NDP and BQ hated the bill, and voted against it.

    The LPC claimed to hate the bill, but passed it anyway--they weren't ready for the election that defeating it would have caused (or something like that).

    Remind me what the LPC did for immigration in their 13 years---oh yeah--fast-tracked peoples' grandparents.
  7. practical person from Ottawa, Canada writes: I don't know how this is really any different than the current point system. The point system brings in white collar workers in professional occupations and there is currently a surplus of 'professional' people in this country, especially engineers. If one looks through all the job ads, the people we seem to need the most are general labourers - people willing to work menial jobs for low wages. I believe our immigration system is so unfair to the people already here by creating a hyper competitive environment for those scarce professional level jobs. As for the claim Canada is going to short of 'labour' - nonsense. As a boomer, I won't be retiring at 65, simply because I cannot afford to - 'downsized' by corporate Canada and have only worked 24 months in my field in the last 8 years. My former employer's pension plan is severly underfunded and my property taxes, along with the cost of living keep skyrocketing (way above the offical inflation rates). I'll have to work until I'm 95 to pay for everything, including health care (which I expect us boomers will have to pay for when we need it). And I'm not willing in my senior years to settle for a job dispensing coffee at the takeout windows at a fast food outlet (as so many of our politicians and economists hope)
  8. Stephanie B. from Canada writes: Journey Man,

    I agree. There are so many people within Canada capable of contributing more to society if only they are given the opportunity to live up to their potential. What are we doing to allow them to grow to their full potential? This policy may be a good idea, but should be implemented in conjunction with policy that facilitates the professional growth and developoment of citizens.
  9. Tim Fang from Canada writes: I am an immigrant-to-be and have been living in this fantastic country for almost 6 years. I finished a 4 year program in University of Western Ontario and it was very tough to find a job within 3 month of completion my study. It is not easy to take a job that pays less than average Canadians because I don't have a permanent status in this country and in order to do so, I need a job in the skill level Immigration Canada requires. Me, and many many foreign students work so hard to contribute to Canada and We DESERVE a policy like this for our future in Canada, for the prosperity of Canada and all other Canadians.
    By the way, a friend of mine who studied in Australia got his permanent resident status 4 months after his graduation and he is happy and earning the above-average income there.
    Canada should have implemented such policy many many years ago so we wouldn't see such immigration backlog and 'imported seniors' who eats out the welfare system.
  10. Tracy Bracy from Toronto, Canada writes: Why not train and educate canadians? No one wants immigrants no matter what they have to offer. 'imported seniors?? i would rather have a million seniors than 1 male teenager.
  11. Mean Machine from Bugtussle, Canada writes: Great,55,000 jobs lost and they make it easier for others.
  12. Wayne Walker from Canada writes: Our own children have many opportunities to get a university education or some kind of technical training at lower costs than are paid by foreign students. The bulk of the blame for all those who drop out of high school or just show up at a post secondary institution with little desire to learn rests with parents like myself. The foreign students are usually very motivated to advance themselves and improve their quality of life. We need good people for the future workplace and keeping some of the students makes a lot of sense. Our own young people just have to rise to the challenge. It is such a good idea that it should have been done years ago but then, who among us was asking for the change? The only losers I see are other immigrants on the waiting list.
  13. free thinker (you get what you pay for) from Canada writes: Tracy Bracy from Toronto, Canada writes: 'No one wants immigrants no matter what they have to offer.' Speak for yourself! Who are you to think that everyone feels the same way you do? I quite enjoy meeting new immigrants to this country. They make our cities more vibrant and interesting. They bring skills, culture, new types of food, music, etc. But I suspect you're not interested in any of that.
  14. Chris Lalonde from Singapore writes: NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow said the new program is elitist and unfair to unskilled or lower-skilled labourers who comprise the vast bulk of foreigners in Canada on temporary work permits.

    The NDP just wants foreigners on welfare.
  15. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: Tracy Bracy...what is your problem? Exactly what is wrong with ALL teenage males? You are just like that Liberal MP: sexist and ageist! Like him, you should apologize.

    Mean Machine...your thinking is too narrowminded. While jobs are being lost in Ontario, most of the rest of the country has a shortage, in some cases a serious one. Canada has benefitted from immigration and will continue to do so. If we don't take these people, Newzealand, Australia and others will.

    Yussi, when did our immigration policy formally change in that direction?
  16. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: The NDP doesn't realize that allowing innovative immigrants in creates jobs (for NDP dummies) through new companies they create.
  17. Yussi M from Canada writes:
    Oh, and by the way, the 'two years of education plus one year of work experience' route seems well-intentioned but is basically another points system fiasco in the making. All those immigration consultants and lawyers will now turn to setting up phony colleges and phony companies that 'educate' and 'employ' all foreigners who pay them. A flood of 'skilled workers' will enter the job market, with no success. Then, gov't analysts will decry that real companies do not recognize such 'work experience' in hiring, leading to more tax money being spent on combatting discrimination, on 'evaluation of domestic credentials' and so on... it will be the points system fiasco redux.
  18. North of 49 from Ladysmith, Canada writes: Looks like a shell game - so the govt projects taking about 25 000 new immigrants from people already in Canada - but still hase no impact on its overall levels / target for skilled workers. Seems to me that you have just reduced the oversea target by 25k or decreased the chance for a skilled worker overseas getting iin. This is particularly true when you factor in all those other 'special' groups like Quebec and other provinces.
    So at the end of the day how many skilled workers without ties to the immigration industry will get a look in ? zero? And with new rules Immigration can toss out all those 'extra' applications to 'next year'.
    But it is faster and cheaper to select people already here.
  19. Chris Lalonde from Singapore writes: Journey Man from Canada .... You've raised a very valid point. Everyone should be concerned. The federal and provincial gov'ts must do more but it's the parents and children themselves who are most responsible. In Singapore, most parents (including low income earners) pay lots of money to enroll their children in extra tuition classes. On Saturdays and Sundays, they are very busy ferrying their kids to and from various classes. Canadian parents need to turn off the idiot box and start teaching their kids! Canada does offer great education, it's up to the Canadian people to take advantage of them.

    In the meantime, I don't see a problem bringing skilled foreigners to fill in difficult to fill positions,
  20. North of 49 from Ladysmith, Canada writes: Hey - what are the criteria - if they don't have to speak english guess who will have to pay to get them up to speed, and what about costs of medical treatment in they aren't fit.
    Can't imagine the courts will want Canada to discriminate against students who do speak english or are sick etc.
  21. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    You mean I won't have to see my doctor, the cab driver?
  22. T Tom from chennai, India writes: I think Ottawa should do something to fastrack those in the PR backlog.
  23. Simon Karsh from Victoria, Canada writes: This is a wonderful policy change, and full marks to our Conservative Goverment for making such wise amendmnts.

    Now we just need more immigartion officers abroad to process all the people who would like to come to work in our blessed country.
  24. Chris E. from Canada writes: Once upon a time, Canada was a young country, with a resource-based work-force. Our professional class were British ex-pats, because we didn't have a domestically-educated pool of doctors and engineers.

    Through hard work, we established institutions of higher learning, and eventually we supplied our need for professionals. Most remarkable was Quebec, which was very backward until the quiet revolution. Today there is a professional class of native Quebecois.

    Lately, we seem to be slipping back into the way we were. We're not training enough doctors or scientists, so we import them just as we used to do from Britain.

    Since we know we can, why are we failing to train our own?
  25. Chris E. from Canada writes: Like the Old Southern Confederate States reaching for slavery for economic salvation, Canada reaches for immigrants.

    We know there was a downside to slavery. After the initial economic gain, there came generations of discontent.

    Indiscriminate immigration is a recipe for long-term disaster. We have to make it with what we have. This country has 33 million people, yet some would say we were at our finest when we had 20 million.
  26. evelyn robinson from Canada writes: Looks like a way to bring in cheap foreign labour. Look what this has done for the USA. rampant unemployment
  27. PANIC! At The Ice Floe from Ottawa, Canada writes: Nothing wrong with this at all. Another good idea!
  28. Chris E. from Canada writes: There are over 190 countries in the world, but immigrants to Canada are disproportionately coming from India, China, and Pakistan.

    If we continue to import a professional class from these countries, we will in the future resemble Africa and the former British colonies, in that we will have a professional class which doesn't reflect the population (example: the Indians of Africa and Fiji).

    The children of these professionals will probably aim to become professionals too, further emphasizing their differences from mainstream Canadians.

    Ethnic economic stratification is divisive to a society. Many Africans resent the Indian shopkeepers and doctors in their midst, and many Indians don't identify with the Africans they live amongst.
  29. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    Chris E.?

    That was quite xenophobic on your part.

    Curious that someone opposed to this policy of skilled immigrants would also claim to be socially progressive.

    When in reality it reflects intolerance.
    With a hint of racism.

    And then equally curious it is a bunch of rednecks proposing it.
  30. Chris Lalonde from Singapore writes: This is just common sense... It's better to get a skilled, educated person with their feet running on the ground from Day 1 than someone whose not.
  31. bob london from Canada writes: Good call Tim Fang. About time.
  32. Shaun Canada from Abbotsford, Canada writes: As a young, male, skilled worker in the construction industry, I have no problem with this...the world is getting smaller, competition is getting steep...get off your butt and work! Stop looking for handouts (do you really need to look? we are given enough as it is). Develop a good work ethic. If you are good at what you do, you will always have a job.
    The problem is not that we aren't 'training enough', the problem is with those individuals wasting their lives and not pursuing anything. There are so many people without motivation or goals. There are so many out there just looking for the next high.
    Perhaps those outside of this country will teach us how work and succeed...and then they can become the 'elitists' of society. Wake up, the seems to be half the battle these days.
  33. Shaun Canada from Abbotsford, Canada writes: 'Chris Lalonde from Singapore '-- fully agree with you. That was right on. No one wants to take responsibility or iniciative, leave it to the govt to educate our kids...parents need to educate their kids, not just the schools.
  34. chris elliott from Richmond, Canada writes: I am an older Canadian 55 and I keep seeing how the government says we will bring in more educated work force and so on. what i do not get is why is it we don't have it. are they saying are kids are stupid or uneducated or cant be trained for these jobs that is what i read that is what they are saying. we do not need more people from other countries we need to train are own people and give the jobs to older workers like myself who need to work still i could train for one of these jobs but i don't see them where are they. I hear about lack of work only and if are kids are not trained enough fire the school teachers because they are getting raises every day spend more on schooling are children do not bring in people from other countries we don't need them if the teachers are doing there job then are kids are trained if not train them. ONCE AGAIN WE DO NOT NEED TO GIVE FUTURES AWAY ARE CHILDREN NEED NOT SOME KID FROM CHINA OR ANY WHERE ELSE....
  35. chris elliott from Richmond, Canada writes: ONE MORE THING BEFORE THEY GET A CHANCE WE NEED NOT TAKE no WE CANT OR WE DON'T HAVE THIS OR THAT BULL FROM THE TEACHERS THEY WORK FOR US CANT DO JOB fire THEM. my god these people are telling us what to do when it is us whom are suppose to be telling them. if are children cant do the jobs train them if the ones training are not getting the job done fire them and find somebody whom can. i could train work ethics i did 3 years in the Marines down in the states during Nam War and i tell you they will be glad to take job to get away from me by the time i would be done with them and they would have work ethics and pride. none of this wipe there butts for them train them to wipe there own and help others wipe theres and kick there own butts to get going and kick the butts of others to do same NO is not in the word game GET it done is the only thing they need to know. run off no place to run we will bring you back and make life even rougher until you get it right this is what is needed not this Mommy society that is going on it was the 70s-80s that ruined the kids families torn apart by poverty and fathers forced to leave because the single mother could get more for children by being divorced this is facts not the lies the gov. hands out. kids think Oh my dad left that is true but reason are not given it was because there was in almost every case no work if there was it was so low of wages you couldn't support your families fact the government paid single mothers more then a man could make on wage of min. wage fact kids get better support money and housing. fathers didn't want it but the government did.... and single moms well hell why not they didn't have to answer to anybody this way didn't really have to work stay home send the kids off and smoke and drink all day and sc--- what ever guys came along and take what they could ..this is the truth of the 70s-early 90s. at least 70s-80s
  36. John Deriso from Edmonton, Canada writes: Ironically, 'low skill' workers can't immigrate anywhere. And yet everybody, everywhere needs these people. Construction workers, janitors, painters, people who do IMPORTANT work that educated people would never do in a thousand years. And why not? Why not let these people into Canada? It's not like there is a mad rush for native born Canadians to join these 'low skill' fields, is there?
  37. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: Canada is suffering from a major immigration 'approval backlog'.

    What is this? Too many queue jumpers and 'refugee' applicants to process?
  38. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: 'The concern is that skilled foreign workers and highly educated students who've been trained and educated in Canada will leave permanently if more effort isn't made to keep them.'

    What proportion of students who come to study in Canada actually decide to stay here?

    Does this also apply to students who come to study on government scholarships?

    Can we say that this new policy can be viewed as self-serving? Or that it shows little concern or no concern for the developing countries that so desperately need the skills of its citizens who come to study in places like Canada?

    Is this another way to plunder poor countries and keep them perpetually poor by luring their brightest and best?

    Way to go Canada!
  39. T Tom from Bangalore, India writes: Stop making these nonsense laws and start recruiting more people at embassies and HCs around the world. Bring down the backlog, for God's sake!!
  40. gwyn giles from cardiff, United Kingdom writes: As a PhD genetics scientist I worked in Vancouver for 4 years and am trying to return to Canada as I believe I have something to offer Canada. I have already lost one job because of the immigration backlog and I am still waiting 28 months from my last application. This new system will not be any better than the last.
  41. david ferguson from halifax, Canada writes: this is going to get me a lot of flak but here it is....i see imigrants in halifax en mass, very few of them that i see are ever going to either integrate into Canadian society as a whole, or I suspect will ever find real meaningful employment in the field of employment in which they have experience. I suspect many will be on the public purse long term, or they will ultimately be underemployed.

    I own an IT company, and a problem is not academic background necessarily but gaining north american industry certification which seems to be a very real problem for many. without that, they are delegated to lesser positions than that they are used to.

    personally, I feel we owe the young people and students of Canada a decent shot at a future. I will hire a promising student, or graduate every time. it is not racism, rather it is practical reality in a business sense, and filling a job market from external sources may very well be government policy but it is a kick in the face for our young , working hard, trying to break into skilled trades and looking to make a good future for themselves.

    our own children should not have to look elsewhere to look for a future of skilled employment and a decent life.
  42. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: david ferguson from halifax, Canada writes:

    'this is going to get me a lot of flak but here it is...

    'personally, I feel we owe the young people and students of Canada a decent shot at a future....

    'our own children should not have to look elsewhere to look for a future of skilled employment and a decent life.'

    A real concern here?
  43. Carl White from Canada writes: 'Me, and many many foreign students work so hard to contribute to Canada and We DESERVE a policy like this for our future in Canada, for the prosperity of Canada and all other Canadians.'

    I don't see where this sense of entitlement comes from. You deserve to be able to immigrate if you wish? Why, exactly? Because you worked hard to get your degrees? Congratulations, but it seems you're the main beneficiary of that work, not the country. In fact, even with the extra tuition begin charged to foreign students, your educations are still being subsidized. No, I don't see how it is that the country is in your debt.
  44. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Canada's immigration system is being changed dramatically and this is yet another misstep. Yes, the backlog problem should have been addressed but not with this methodology which inherits the following drawbacks:

    1 Solely for this purpose, fa*ty private educational institutions will mushroom and they will be filled with so-called students. If 25.000 people will be accepted, 50.000 students will be flooding Toronto each year, creating another backlog. Perhaps they know this and the intention is importing illegal labourers who will work for even lower hourly wages while studying. I hope they are not calculating that some nuclear engineers from U of T will fill the quota.

    2 Currently existing thousands of unofficial scammer consultants will multiply under the name of 'education specialist's. Toronto will be infested with the most needy, having sold all their belongings just to be able to start some joke of a faculty there, and you will soon have more dishwashers than dishes. I would rather call this 'encouragement for human trafficking' law.

    The new amendment at the federal level that practically gives an end to the current point system, has also very serious consequences. Embassies will be given lists of 'sought after professions' each year, and those consultants will 'fit' the applicants into those categories.

    Do I have any suggestions? Of course I do.

    1 Too many people satisfy the passmark? Raise it.

    2 Do newcomers run out of their money before they find a job? Increase the required minimum from that funny figure to a more realistic one.

    3 Adaptation problems? Insert new criteria to choose more adaptable ones. I will not suggest how, everybody knows it is possible to avoid problem causers.

    4 And the most tricky part of the system, is the infamous 'arranged employment' criterion. It is an industry, not a reality, delete it.

    Currently Canada has the most reliable system which made it such a great country. Please re-think.

  45. Tim Burns from Calgary, Canada writes: david ferguson from halifax, Canada writes: this is going to get me a lot of flak but here it is....i see imigrants in halifax en mass, very few of them that i see are ever going to either integrate into Canadian society as a whole, or I suspect will ever find real meaningful employment in the field of employment in which they have experience. I suspect many will be on the public purse long term, or they will ultimately be underemployed. I own an IT company, and a problem is not academic background necessarily but gaining north american industry certification which seems to be a very real problem for many. without that, they are delegated to lesser positions than that they are used to. personally, I feel we owe the young people and students of Canada a decent shot at a future. I will hire a promising student, or graduate every time. it is not racism, rather it is practical reality in a business sense, and filling a job market from external sources may very well be government policy but it is a kick in the face for our young , working hard, trying to break into skilled trades and looking to make a good future for themselves. our own children should not have to look elsewhere to look for a future of skilled employment and a decent life. Well said, not very politically correct, but its funny our own government seems to care more about foreignors than 'real Canadians'. Oh yea Khadr is a real Canadian..... to disagree is racist.
  46. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: It must be elections time.

    When else do political parties and the media turn to 'immigrant-philic' news reports?
  47. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: 'The Harper government is creating a new fast-track immigration route for skilled foreign workers and students who've already proved employable in Canada: an effort to prevent an erosion of talent as global competition heats up for higher-value labour.'

    Is there a time frame here? Or is this info already known?
  48. Timber 'n from Somewhere, Canada writes: 'NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow said the new program is elitist and unfair to unskilled or lower-skilled labourers who comprise the vast bulk of foreigners in Canada on temporary work permits.'

    And Mrs Chow would pay for all those government 'programs' how? And she will support the aging population how?? Canada needs to be a technology leader, we can't forever be woodcutters and tar slingers. Canada needs scientist, nurses, skilled tradesmen, etc and there is plenty of room for both natural born Canadians and immigrants, its the how we all grow the economy and prosper.
  49. Blasphemous Apostate from Cahones, Mexico writes: Excellent news....now, stop accepting refugees....
  50. Timber Wolf from Richmond, BC, Canada writes: While I also detect xenophobia and racism in Chris E's remarks, his fears about immigrants becoming the new elite in Canada could well come to fruition. Even so, what he and Mr. Ferguson should realize is that we aren't denying native born Canadian youth opportunities by allowing skilled immigrants into Canada; it is that Canadian youth aren't taking advantage of the opportunities procurable to them. Having worked with and supervised youth while working in logistics, I can tell you that most young kids today have a crappy work ethic. If you think that their apathetic lethargic work ethos while humping boxes will suddenly vanish when given an IT or other white collar job, then you're sadly mistaken. What I've futher observed about kids today is that nobody has taught them failure, and consequently, they don't understand that there are minimum requirements. This is unfortunate since failure is actually an easy thing to deal with if taught at an early age.

    It seems to me that nativism is being used to veil mediocrity. If Mandeep and Sawinder rise to the top by virtue of hard work and moxie, then all these ' white ' Canadians with British surnames have only themselves to blame.
  51. L'actualite Conservative from Canada writes: More, simply good, public pilicy.
  52. Blaque Jacque Shallaque from Canada writes: Jeez! Sensible government immigration policy. Waddayaknow.

    Liberals must be so upset. No more importing their future votes. If we bring in people who actually are willing to work and participate in Canadian society, rather than just feed off the public teat in their 'enclaves', that means they will not likely vote Liberal, since the Libs have nothing to offer but welfare payouts and pandering.
  53. David any from Virtually Unpronounceable, Canada writes: As an Alpha Centurian I find the proposal to be very elitist. Why accept only the so called educated and rich students to Canada when you haven't even developed space travel yet? What I need are good plumbers, painters and carpenters. This will truly raise the well being of Canadians. I would rather have good trades people than another policy wonk or Wang operator any day. I would rather have hard working men and women than the people who think they are entitled any day.
    If brainy overpaid lazy people were good for anything I wouldn't have settled here.
    Save our planet from redundantcy! Cod save our home and native land! Brawn over brains!
  54. Peter Wojnar from Hamilton, Canada writes:

    Easing immigration rules in itself will not solve the problem.

    The federal government and the provinces need to reduce the crushing tax burden, otherwise, skilled immigrants will either not come here or leave after being here a short time.

    Hopefully Harper does not adopt the Chretien viewpoint, which was simply to deny that a tax problem even existed.
  55. Yussi M from Canada writes:
    Ghetto Dude,

    Your post has it exactly rights. Except for phony schools, those immigration consultants will also start opening phony companies that provide the one year 'work experience' and then cry for gov't funding for 'recognition of domestic credentials' when job market discounts them.

    Encouragement for human trafficking is exactly right.
  56. Billy Bee from Another Harper Lie, Canada writes: Uh-huh. Another Harper lie.

    Remember when Harper campaigned on recognizing foreign credentials, only to back-pedal and say it was the provinces' responsibility after he was elected? He was either lying, stupid (or both) when he made this promise - I think it was a lie.

    Beleive it when I see it, its just another promise waiting to be broken after the election.
  57. donald from Alberta from Hire the best and Brightest, Canada writes: Harper: I though you believed in the private sector and its employee's. Everybody knows that private enterprise makes great wealthy countries and sustain their services. To bad that you have such distain for the private sector employee's: big tax cuts for the rich x3, pension income splitting for the public sector (big bucks in the future, wait till the private sector employee's figure out how much), first piece of business of your gov't was to drop a tax cut for the lowest tax group (only to give it back later and tell them not to complain), no support for consumers being gouged, ethanol subsidizes which are going to cost billions and create another oligopoly, temporary gov't funded foreign worker programs (for obviously unsustainable businesses) and now extra university funding (through foriegn students), which may cost citizen of this country not only entance into these school but also well paid jobs. Way to go, no votes for you!
  58. Lane Myers from Canada writes: It's about time our immigration policy was revised to allow skilled workers into Canada, without having to allow 10,000 grandparents in, just to get down to the next skilled worker on the list.

    Good move Mr. Harper!!
  59. 1938371 1938371 from Vancouver, Canada writes: Canada is probably the safest country on the planet. It is the largest country in size except for Russia and we have a mere 35 million people. Putting aside it is the gateway to the U.S.A., it is awesome that the government is moving forward in expanding immigration. Nobody but nobody works harder than an immigrant who knows Canada to be a better place to live and raise a family compared to the many over crowded countries that exist today. Think of all the freedoms we have as Canadians.
  60. Gary Grey from Toronto, Canada writes: I do not think Canada needs more immigrants. The country's big cities are awash in immigrants such that they lost their Canadian spirit. We can not assimilate all these immigarants that fast.

    We have plenty of proffessional immmigrants who end up working jobs much inferior to their qualifications and if they get work they will be paid less than their native counterparts. Who is responsible for that?

    On the contrary, We have to invest in our own people education.

    With respect to all, I'm neither racist nor xenophobic, but multiculturalism policy is generating different competing ethnic communities throughout big Canadian cities. So if you were a Chinese immigrant arriving to Vancouver, for example, you will be assisted by your countrymen and will end up in a better job than someone with the same qualifications from Nigeria, for example. This is very noticeable; we are talking about invisible cielings here.

    Most people buy into Multiculturalism because of their good heartedness, but it is so ideal and impractical.
  61. Michael McKay from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada writes: I would like to comment on this article if I may. I think that we as a Nation need to be extremely careful, when it comes to easing any rules or, Polocies concerning our Immigration laws. I am not saying that we should make it next to impossible to come to this Country, however, I do think and believe that we need to have some of the most secure boarders in the World. Especially when it comes to imigration from Muslim Countries. I know that there those who practice that faith tradition who would not think of doing anything to harm anyone, but the risk is too great, In leu of what is happening in our world concerning the War on Terrorism and our brave Men and Women in Uniform we must and we need to remain ever Vigilent in protecting our families and our way of life
  62. Jim Q from Halifax, Canada writes: Let's not forget that under the Liberals, the backlog was entirely cleared. The current backlog is an invented problem by the Conservatives, who dilly-dallied over filling vacant immigration officer places. Another example of creating a crises to justify changing the system.

    Still, the new plan offers one obviously good ideas: Allow workers and graduates to apply from within Canada.

    All the same, aren't we suffering from a trades shortage and, in Alberta, a general labour shortage far more than we are an MBA and BSc shortage?

    I smell more old ideology than new ideas in this plan.
  63. A C from Canada writes: The question still remains - 'After the government has improved an immigrant's entry into the Canada, where is the job?' Immigrants who got into the country and many others getting now still face poor employment prospects!! Many are still driving taxis, working graveyard shifts, etc.
    Getting an immigrant in without providing him or her with the ability to practise their skill does not help at all. Therefore until that issue is resolved, the migration will continue to other countries therefore changing the immigration policy will not have an effect on the employment sector.
    In addition, I would not be surprised that a certain percentage of the backlog no longer exists as the applicants might have given up and move away.
  64. North of the Border from Canada writes: I've been against this since day one. You can't handle what's on your plate now so the solution? Throw more onto it? Sounds like a real intelligent approach. I wonder how many of these immigrants helped to come up with the idea (and implement) shipping much of the jobs here overseas? Being a loyal citizen seems to be something of the past. Maybe Canada should take care of whose here now rather than try and create a 'Chinese' society, overpopulate to get cheap labour and be North America's bi**h.
  65. Bad Bob from Montreal, Canada writes: Journey Man from Canada - The reason we have a 25% drop out rate in Canada is because they are LAZY. They want to be spoon fed.

    That is not all their fault though the education system has been changed to make spoon feeding the norm.

    Go back to the older ways.

    Most foreign students study like mad. They are not afraid of working for what they can get. Not like our kids of today.
  66. drunk wookie from TO, Canada writes: As the majority of the population becomes poorer and poorer and the mega rich become even richer through hedge funds and other 'investment vehicles' i.e. scams, this news must be a blessing to big business. There is such a surplus of people with degrees in canada that now foreigners (born here for all businessmen know) who get canadian degrees from recognized universities are lagging in employment compared to caucasians. This creates resentment and frustration. But from the businessman's perspective, what a blessing!! You can afford to pay people peanuts for work that is highly paid in other western countries. It is very common to find work outside canada that is better paid and way easier to get. Businesspeople in canada know that they can treat you like crap because the HR department has thousands of resumes they can turn to in case they lose you. The lashback from foreigners holding canadian degrees is predictable and also shocking. Predictable in that they start their own companies. Shocking in that they hire employees mostly from their ethnic background. Also shocking is the fact that a lot of these foreign professionals tend to bring to Canada not only their knowledge but also their questionable business practices common back home. I wonder how canadians would react if they knew that some clinical research companies in the GTA hire only Indians who then run crooked clinical trials on caucasian (mostly) subjects? Let me define crooked: blaming a subject for not disclosing an unknown neck tumor that the foreign trained medical staff 'missed' with subsequent dosing of that subject. Maybe I'm crazy and this is shocking only to me.
  67. brm 2000 from hogtown, Canada writes: Isn't interesting how immigration brings out the bogeyman in everybody... I was recently in England and their was someone complaining bitterly about all of the south Asians that were in the country. I asked him, how did they get into the country? Did they just show up? They were of course asked to come in by the government to fill factory jobs in the fifties and then doctor's jobs in the nineties. Therefore the right person to blame was the government if you disagreed with this policy. We (Canada) control immigration, the government knows where people are if they need to. Amazing how fast the recent Serbian dictator was found when they needed to find him. So pro or con over what the policy is, the person to blame is the government, not the poor people desperate for new lives in Canada. Most Canadians would be shocked at the standard of living in many so called EU countries compared to what we have. So we should cherish what we have and have a sensible debate over what our immigration policy should be. We have the control -- if we use it.
  68. Just Me from Ottawa, Canada writes: I support immigrants to enter Canada for the better sake of Canada and I also enjoy the heterogenity that Toronto's (the 416-, not 905-cones) multiculturism offers. But I do not like how Canada promotes that only immigrants will solve the future of Canada.

    Little recognition is offered of Canada's educated residents and citizens. Canada constantly promotes education, yet ignores what Canada produces, and then looks externally. And the amount of money and time spent on advertising for people who may come and may stay, might be better spent on those who are here and are staying (please note that this is not a racist comment at all, I am looking at the logistics and I am certain that there are many in Canada who can use a bit more resources who come from different backgrounds).

    Canada needs to realize that even with the polocies for immigrants to enter, Canada may not get what it needs, which has been evidently proven.
    All that I am saying is that while looking into importing people, do not ignore what is here.
  69. Gary Grey from Toronto, Canada writes: Michael Mckay experience islamophobia as lots of other people in this country after 9/11. Terrorism is a world-wide phenomena that was not started by muslims.

    IRA in Ireland, Red Army in Japan, Bader Meinhof in Germany, Red Brigades in Italy, L'action direct in France, Fundemental Christians groupslike in Waco and Ruby Ridge- USA, Kach in Israel are all NON_MUSLIM groups. So why muslims are always branded terrorist. May be because of the Zionist-controlled media.
  70. Farm Boy from Belfast, United Kingdom writes: If Canada is in such need of qualified people then why are I, my brother-in-law and a cousin of my wife's, who are all professional engineers, working overseas? Please spare the sarcastic replies. IMHO Canada is not a good place to be an engineer partly because of excessive taxation but also because the profession is not valued. Many aerospace engineers I know in Canada spend their days working in tiny cubicles that not even the most junior secretary would tolerate and then take home barely 60% of what they have earned. Also, at the university level I have seen that Canada's brightest and best are not choosing this profession.
  71. alex just a canadian from Canada writes: Yup an office run by incompetent bureacrats is just that, you can change its name or goals, but in the end you still have the same idiots in place, AND GOD FORBID WRITTING TO THE IMMIGRATION MINISTER, SHE'S TO BUSY DOING???
    That is why my wife a neuroscientist has been waiting five years even if she came from a friendly Western country (NL) only been working in major research hospitals in Montreal and TO, where most of her collegues come from outside Canada. We recruit them here then they are left waiting and paying fees over and over. No wonder many leave, heck its even easier to get status in the US. Oh well like many others in her lab that have left, we'll give it another year or two if not plenty of opporunities in Europe, no problem leaving my home country.
  72. P Jones from NB, Canada writes: Ultimately, the goal of any country's government and populace is to make that country stronger and in turn, improve the quality of life for its citizens. Therefore, by extension, the focus of our immigration system should be to permit only those immigrants that can contribute to Canada's success.

    An earlier poster stated that 'One of the roles of immigration is to strenghten multiculturalism and help making Canada of a true ethnic and cultural mosaic.'. While this may be a positive byproduct of immigration, it certainly shouldn't be a major focus.

    From what I have read, I like how this policy sounds. One of my concerns though is that once an approved immigrant is provided entry to Canada, they will then try to bring along family members that can not contribute to Canada's well-being and in fact, add to the strain already in place on our taxed support structure. If an immigrant wants a family member to come to Canada, then that family member needs to be a contributer, or the sponsoring immigrant needs to provide the support required by that family member. Canada should NOT be a country of convenience or charity.
  73. P Jones from NB, Canada writes: Jim Q from Halifax, Canada writes: Let's not forget that under the Liberals, the backlog was entirely cleared ...
    _______________________

    It most certainly was not cleared. If you believe that the current situation has only occurred over the past two years, then you are fooling no one but yourself.
  74. Just Me from Ottawa, Canada writes: THe critical point is that the conservatives introduce this policy. Conservatives are interested in the corporations and business growth rather than what the interests of the common person. Therefore, the policy works for the better interests of corporations on Bay Street rather than those who live dowtown Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, etc.

    I work in IT and many of my co workers were immigrants, so I have a harder time seeing that immigrants are poorly represented. I was the only non-immigrant in the last job placement that I had; a contract with the federal government was primarily white; in Calgary, half of the team were not born in Canada.

    To fill the shortages (construction workers, nurses, etc.), Canada may need to be less conservative of rules, such as IT where work experience is ciritcal. However, I suspect this is NOT a good route to follow as the medical staff and construction workers would and can be anything.
  75. P Jones from NB, Canada writes: Farm Boy from Belfast, United Kingdom writes: If Canada is in such need of qualified people then why are I, my brother-in-law and a cousin of my wife's, who are all professional engineers, working overseas? ...
    ______________________

    Yes, while immigration may be an option, we DO need to take care of our own first. I hate to see our finest leave Canada for greener pastures. And don't get me going about the affects of high taxation. Governments only shoot themselves in the foot by treating their citizens like bottomless pocket books.
  76. P Jones from NB, Canada writes: Just Me from Ottawa, Canada writes: THe critical point is that the conservatives introduce this policy. Conservatives are interested in the corporations and business growth rather than what the interests of the common person ...
    ___________________

    Sorry, but this policy is beneficial to the common person as well. After all, it is OUR tax money that goes into the support structure that many immigrants take advantage of. Any policy that focuses on allowing entry to immigrants capable of contributing to Canada's well-being should be seen by all as a positive initiative.
  77. Al B from Canada writes: When I was in grad school the foreign students would just drive to Buffalo and apply for immigration status there. And it was well known that if they came from some third world country or Eastern Europe, they basically came with a one-way ticket. I used to think that was a huge flaw but now they just made it legal.
  78. bob london from Canada writes: Just Me; Rae giving out Talking Points?
  79. Pete Kauchak, Green Tory from Cascadia, Canada writes: NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow said the new program is elitist and unfair to unskilled or lower-skilled labourers who comprise the vast bulk of foreigners in Canada on temporary work permits.

    Like I give a damn. Just what the country needs..useless, unskilled people.
  80. Chris E. from Canada writes: When comparing the 'work ethic' of a Canadian and a highly motivated foreign immigrant, we should ask why the immigrant sometimes seems to be the harder worker.

    The foreigner is often driven by the no-nonsense policies of his homeland, which has no safety net for failure. He sees himself as the challenger, and has the urge to compete and do better than born Canadians, whom he disparages for having a country of plenty, yet not appreciating it.

    The pride at seeing members of his ethnic community rising above born Canadians stimulates his aggressive instinct, and gets him up in the morning determined to continue the fight for the betterment of his ethnic community.
  81. blue nose from Calgary, Canada writes: Does Canada give preference to immigrants from certain countries, or is someone from, say Somalia just as likely to be accepted as an Australian or Brit?
  82. The Globe and Mail editors censor free speech from Canada writes: From scanning these comments, looks like the Liberals who are both opposed to and support these changes to immigration are going to have a rough ride in the next election on this point. But, I'm sure their visionary Green Shaft tax increase will put them over the top.
  83. Journey Man from Canada writes: Bad Bob from Montreal, Canada writes: 'Journey Man from Canada - The reason we have a 25% drop out rate in Canada is because they are LAZY. They want to be spoon fed. That is not all their fault though the education system has been changed to make spoon feeding the norm. Go back to the older ways.'

    Bad Bob, I don't disagree with your points, however I would add that because of funding cuts and a de-emphasis on the practical, hands-on, component of education at the high-school and college level, many of our young people become disenfranchised.

    For example we have a huge shortage of skilled welders in Canada and large corporations are keen to import these skilled people from over-seas, yet in many provinces the high-school and college welding training shops have been closed down due to the high costs of running these facilities. It is cheaper to plop the kids down in front of a computer.

    Why for example are college's in Ontario only funded to about 65% per student as compared to universities? Where are the shortages in the labour market?...mainly in college educated occupations and skilled trades; but of course the governments bow to the needs of the large companies and will simply import these skills instead of training our own population.
  84. Brenton E. from Canada writes: not a bad idea, give credit where its due (if I understand the proposal correctly). This marks the 2nd time the Harper Socred's have proposed something I agree is good for the country.
  85. Chris E. from Canada writes: Many born-Canadians would rather drop out of the work force than compete for jobs in this country which are dominated by foreigners.

    Once an occupation becomes dominated by recent immigrants, born Canadians no longer want it. In this way, we will create a 'brown under-class' in Canada, much like the United States has (Hispanics and Africans mainly).

    The fabric of Canadian society will be irrevocably stratified along colour lines.
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