Olivia Criticizes Funding Cuts to Settlement Services
In the weeks since Stephen Harper announced his mean spirited and short-sighted cuts to immigration settlement and adaptation services, I have been leading the fight in Parliament to restore funding to these important agencies.
As the New Democrat member of the Citizenship and Immigration Committee, I pushed the committee to study the impact these cuts would have on these agencies, new immigrants, and our communities. We heard testimony from several settlement agencies impacted by the cuts, and I am very grateful to those who participated.
At the conclusion of the hearings, the Committee adopted my motion to reverse the $53 million in funding cuts to immigration settlement agencies. The Committee has reported back to the House of Commons, and I have moved a concurrence motion, which will force the House of Commons to debate and vote on this motion.
Every Member of Parliament will have to stand up and show which side they are on.
I expect the motion to come up for debate sometime next week, with the vote to follow.
I will keep you updated on any future development as we continue to fight to have these cuts reversed in Parliament.
My New Democrat colleagues and I will continue to provide leadership you can trust to stand up for new immigrants.
Sincerely,
Olivia Chow, MP
New Democrat Critic for Citizenship and Immigration
