“The immigration minister is failing at her job. Her department is corrupt and is giving out 215,000 new work permits while young Canadians cannot find jobs. The government has no plan to deport temporary residents who refuse to leave, and it is paying for health care for nearly 74,000 people whose refugee claims were rejected.”

“Mr. Speaker, every week Canadians get up to another headline about the immigration minister botching her job. Corruption runs rampant in her department. Criminals walk away with discount sentences. She is issuing 215,000 new work permits while Canadian kids cannot find jobs, with no plan to deport the temporary residents who will not leave. Today, we learn that she is covering the premium health care costs of nearly 74,000 people whose asylum claims have already been rejected as fraudulent. How does it feel to be failing so publicly and so repeatedly on a file that is so important?”

“The minister is failing at her job and avoiding hard questions. Will she stay for all four hours at the committee meeting on Thursday to answer our questions?”

“Mr. Speaker, when Canadians know that nothing she is doing is working and half the people sitting beside her are saying the same thing out loud, it stops being opposition criticism and it starts being a pattern with the minister. She cannot handle the hard questions from across the aisle. She needs to get a grip on what is actually happening in her ministry. The minister refused to answer a question yesterday. On Thursday, she has four hours at committee to make it right. Will she be there for the full four hours, or will we finally get somebody who is competent at their job?”

• Little substance
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  Opposition question in Question Period

  Signal 35 of 100

  Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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“A new report shows nearly 74,000 rejected asylum seekers can still get free health benefits like physiotherapy and home care, even if they are wanted by police. I want the government to explain why these people get better health care than working Canadians.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am really glad that the hon. member brought up the Parliamentary Budget Officer, because she just released a damning report revealing that nearly 74,000 rejected asylum claimants remain eligible for luxury health care benefits under the Liberals’ interim federal health program. This includes rejected asylum claimants who are listed as wanted for failing to show up at their removal proceedings, yet under the Liberals, all of these claimants still qualify for luxury health benefits like physiotherapy, counselling and home care. Why are the Liberals providing better health care to rejected asylum claimants than to hard-working Canadians?”

“The Liberals let too many people into Canada too quickly, and our health care system cannot keep up. Millions of Canadians are waiting for basic medical care. Meanwhile, 74,000 people whose asylum claims were rejected are getting health benefits that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. These benefits should go to Canadians. Why has the government not removed these failed claimants from the country?”

“Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Liberals understand ho w profoundly unfair the system is right now, to everybody. The Liberals brought too many non-citizens into Canada too fast for health care to keep up, and millions of Canadians are waiting for basic medical services. Today, the PBO showed that there are 74,000 failed asylum seekers, people who have bogus asylum claims, who are getting benefits like vision care. This is costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Premium health benefits should be going to Canadians, not to failed asylum claimants who should be removed from Canada. Why are they not?”

“The government is spending too much money on health benefits for failed asylum claimants who should be removed from Canada. That money could build a hospital. I want the minister to cancel these benefits.”

“Mr. Speaker, the minister just said that the program is temporary. That is what it was designed to be, but the PBO said today that failed asylum claimants, people who are supposed to be removed from the country, are getting benefits like vision care and physiotherapy for years. That is why the cost is mushrooming year after year. A billion dollars could build a hospital. Instead, it is going to failed asylum claimants. That is not fair. Why will she not cancel these luxury benefits?”