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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

During question period on immigration, Conservative MP Gabriel Hardy asked why asylum seekers, including those whose applications have been rejected, receive health coverage that he said costs the government $1.5 billion a year, while many Canadian taxpayers cannot find a family doctor. He asked the minister to explain why that is acceptable. Minister François-Philippe Champagne replied that the government is open to reviewing existing programs, pointed to $60 billion in savings identified across federal departments, and said the government must tighten spending like Canadians are doing, including through better technology and cost reductions.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

1 statement

Gabriel Hardy

Conservative
“The government now spends 1.5 billion dollars a year on free health care for asylum seekers, even those who were rejected. Many Canadian taxpayers cannot even get a family doctor. I want the minister to explain why this is acceptable.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians like Noelle, Richard, Christiane and Aaron all ask me the same question: Why do asylum seekers, even those whose applications have been rejected and who should no longer be in the country, have access to free health care when taxpayers do not even have a family doctor? The interim federal health program has grown from $211 million a year to $1.5 billion in less than 10 years. Does the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship think it is acceptable to give free health care to non-residents while some Quebeckers do not even have access to a doctor?

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