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Nick Noorani’s Monday Musings 19 September 2011

The Canadian Immigrant magazine was not just any entrepreneurial venture; for me, it was a way to reduce the time it takes for an immigrant to succeed in Canada, and make them productive tax payers! There was never a situation of two sides. Canada needs immigrants and their success has a direct impact upon Canada’s economy.

So while the UK, Germany, France and Australia questioned and denounced multiculturalism, we Canadians didn’t think we would have that problem – after all, poll after poll kept showing Canadians supported immigration. Alas, it was only a matter of time before the virus came to our idyllic shores.

Enter Rob Ford – now Mayor of Toronto – Canada’s largest city. A city where 50% of the population is born outside of Canada. Also a city where 50% of all immigrants to Canada land. During the municipal election campaign, Ford questioned the need to have more immigrants come to Toronto. Maybe his remarks were aimed at the Tamil boat refugees, but the monster was peeking out of the closet. Ironically, immigrants voted Ford in!

And now we have the biggest seat in Ontario being contested – the Premier’s office. The first announcement came from McGuinty: companies hiring immigrants get $10,000 towards training (whatever that means). Hudak responded by calling it ‘affirmative action,’ an American term really as in Canada we call it employment equity. Hudak then went on to talk about the fact that ‘foreigners’ would get preference over Canadians. The beast had been unleashed.

Coming out of a recession where hundreds of thousands were jobless, all they needed was a new target to aim their ire. It was an old one: ‘foreign people taking away our jobs’! In the melee that ensued, the division between immigrants and Canadians grew and McGuinty promised that the program would be for immigrants who had been in the country less than five years and were Canadian citizens. WOW! Where will you find them? Most immigrants have bigger priorities than forking out $200 per adult to apply for Citizenship.

In the noise that ensued with both sides the poor immigrant got sandwiched. I am confused myself. I thought under the Charter permanent residents or immigrants had the same rights as Canadians with the exception of the right to vote which only came with citizenship. So who are the ‘foreigners’?

In 2005 I spoke before the Parliamentary committee on Citizenship and Immigration and made a proposal that the Government give a tax incentive to corporations that give immigrants their first job in their field. The fact is that as a country we do have similar programs for First Nations and Aboriginals, for mothers, for the physically challenged and for youth entering the workforce. Why not something similar that would help the country socially and economically? Canada spends over $600 million helping immigrants with settlement services but the fact is that employers still are risk-averse to hiring a newcomer. My proposal was interestingly picked up in 2006 when Conservative MP Dianne Ablonczy proposed it.

Someday I will have a bumper sticker made – “Be nice to immigrants, they will pay your medical and CPP when you retire!”

Talk back to me on Prepare for Canada Facebook page!
Until next Monday.
Nick Noorani