LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Super Visa sham

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Super Visa sham

There has been a lot of discussion about the Conservative government’s new “Super Visa” in the community recently, but unfortunately it has turned out to be an insult to families desperate to bring their parents here.  

The Super Visa was supposed to bring families closer together by allowing parents and grandparents to visit their children in Canada for up to two years at a time over a decade. 

But the reality is that most families won’t be able to afford the high-costs involved with the Visa, including meeting minimum salary levels and paying thousands for private health insurance. All of this is assuming the application is even approved, and we all know how difficult that has become under the Conservatives.

Worse, the Super Visa controversy is distracting attention from the Conservatives’ decision to freeze parental sponsorship applications for two years – breaking a promise to new Canadians. For some, having the right to sponsor their parents is the reason why they chose to come to Canada. What the Conservatives have done – no matter what their excuse – is not right.
With a majority, the Conservatives have begun their Reform Party agenda, known for its anti-immigrant policies.  They have chosen to ignore all the hard-working new Canadians who elected them based on empty promises.

Liberal MPs will be exposing these disturbing developments and what else Jason Kennedy doesn’t want you to know about citizenship and immigration at a series of town hall meetings, starting in Scarborough on January 19.

In contrast, the Liberal Party of Canada believes in reuniting families. In government, Liberals worked closely with immigrant communities leading to a fair and flexible immigration system. Indeed, more immigrants have been welcomed in by Liberals than by any other Party in Canada.  

Only with a Liberal government in Ottawa will Canada have an immigration policy that puts the concerns and needs of immigrants first.

Sincerely,
Kevin Lamoureux
Critic for Immigration for the Liberal Party of Canada