“The Conservatives keep attacking refugees instead of offering real, legal solutions. Their claims have no merit. We are working with communities on long-term housing for everyone.”

“Mr. Speaker, there is a pattern here with the Conservative questions on immigration. I have great respect for that member. We work together on the immigration committee. However, instead of putting meaningful reform forward that is constitutional, they go back to refugees constantly. That is not an illegitimate issue, but the way they frame it rings familiar. It is right-wing populism. He knows, because we have heard about it at committee, that there is no merit to those points. We are working with communities on long-term housing solutions for everyone.”

• Didn't answer
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  Government answer in Question Period

  Relevance 17 of 100

  None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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• Little substance
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  Government answer in Question Period

  Signal 30 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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“We stopped using hotels to house refugee claimants a while ago. We are still working with cities to help them handle the global refugee crisis.”

“Mr. Speaker, the member knows, because he works on the House of Commons committee responsible for immigration, that for some time now, hotels have not been used to resettle refugee claimants. We are certainly working with municipalities to assist in a variety of ways. We know that the global displacement crisis that has been in effect since 2015 has certainly created challenges for Canada and other democracies. We are there for municipalities in response. We will continue to do that. I look forward to the report on the matter that is upcoming in committee as well.”

“Both parties have supported health care for refugee claimants since the 1950s. Claimants make up less than 1% of our population, and their health care costs less than 0.2% of our total health spending. We have a duty to help them.”

“Mr. Speaker, that was almost on cue. I guess the member did not have time to revise the question. There the Conservatives go again about refugee claimants. The members knows or should know that the interim federal health program has been in existence since the 1950s, supported by successive Conservative and Liberal governments. Let us also continue with the facts. Refugee claimants comprise less than 1% of the total population. That program, the interim federal health program, makes up less than 0.2% of the total health care spending in Canada. We have an obligation to respond in a compassionate way and also in a responsible way.”