Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, if that is the case, how come the numbers keep going up, with hundreds of thousands of people coming to our country?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we have already exceeded the expectation that we are reducing it, so—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, what is the point of setting targets if we are not going to meet them? Why are—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. minister has the floor.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we are meeting those targets; in fact we have more than met the expectation of the targets.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, one in five Canadians and one in two newcomers cannot find access to a family doctor right now. Why is the minister bringing hundreds of thousands of foreign students and low-skilled labour to Canada in the middle of a health care crisis?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we are targeting the talent that we need, including physicians and people who work in construction. There are specific programs that were designed to target bringing those individuals to our communities.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Liberals' words are not matching their actions. Canadians are dying in ER rooms, and the wait times keep going up. Newcomers and Canadians cannot find a doctor. We have massive shortages of support in the health care system.

Does the minister not think it is irresponsible to be piling hundreds of thousands more immigrants into our country when we are facing this crisis in our country?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, again, we have brought in physicians, nurses and health care workers, people to actually care for Canadians, through those programs, and that is something we will target and keep bringing.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, Canada is already short 23,000 doctors right now. How many doctors will we be bringing into the country?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we have a dedicated stream that will work with the provinces and the communities. In fact, in my own province of—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, how many will there be, just a number?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, again, the provinces and the communities themselves are also working on these pathways. I know, as a former minister—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, clearly, the minister has no idea of who she is bringing into the country. There is a STEM program that is bringing in insurance brokers and agents. They have lost control of the system and have totally collapsed the system.

Can the minister tell us today how many highly skilled immigrants she is bringing into the country?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I do not think the member really has been here throughout the whole proceedings. Estimates were tabled. We have our levels planned. We have the numbers of the different categories of people who are being brought in. We have met those—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, hospitals are bursting at the seams. Frontline staff are exhausted. Doctors are overworked.

Why is the minister admitting more immigrants without even removing those who have overstayed their visa?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, let me be clear. The number of expiring documents is not the number of people. Anybody whose visa expired is expected to leave, and when they do not—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

There is time for a very brief final question.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, how many of those who have been ordered to leave so far have left Canada?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, when immigration documents expire, individuals are expected to leave the country, and those who do not comply, public safety—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan has the floor.