Nick Noorani Website

I have been closely watching how the federal immigration portfolio has evolved over the last few years. Let’s go back to just five years ago … we had Denis Coderre (Liberal) in the role of immigration minister in 2002 and 2003 who had floated the idea of having the feds decide where immigrants should settle. That prompted cries from critics that likened Canada to Red China and died a quiet and deserved end!
And then we had Judy Sgro — someone I personally believed had an understanding and the will to effect changes in the functioning of this huge, complex portfolio. Unfortunately, she fell victim to a vicious campaign and resigned.

Joe Volpe was the next minister — an immigrant himself (wow, how unusual!) and someone who had a well-designed strategy for “recruiting” the best and the brightest. When we interviewed the Italian Volpe in our April 2005 issue, he expressed a real passion for fixing up the system with an ambitious “six-point plan.” But, alas, he, too, didn’t have the time to really accomplish much.
Because less than a year later came the 2006 election that gave the Conservatives a minority government. Monte Solberg, the MP from Medicine Hat, Alberta, was chosen as Citizenship and Immigration Minister. At first, we wondered whether he would have a real understanding or feel for immigrant issues, but he started off his term in an affable way with a few smart moves. Yet, he seemed to focus more on temporary workers than permanent residents, and in a year’s time, he had given no real update on the Conservative promise of a national clearinghouse for foreign credentials.
And then came the cabinet reshuffle this new year. Monte Solberg switched places with Diane Finley — he moved to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and she stepped in as immigration minister. Solberg had barely a year to get into the complicated portfolio, and now it seems we have to start from scratch with a new minister, and one who doesn’t appear to have any background in immigration issues.
It seems like by the time a minister has time to get up to speed on the issues that face immigrants today, they are moved along to their next portfolio like in a game of musical chairs.
What perplexes me even more were reports that Ms. Finley’s health concerns prompted the powers that be to give her a “less stressful” portfolio.
In the past nine years that I have been in Canada, from all the media reports I have seen, I am not sure immigration is a portfolio that could be described as “less stressful.”
I also wonder why, with the ironic combination of a red-hot economy and a labour shortage, the importance of immigrants is being downplayed by this government. Just getting Wajid Khan to move to the Tories is not enough to woo the immigrant vote come election time.
And if there will be an election soon, is there even a point for Minister Finley to learn that much about this portfolio? No doubt with the way the cabinet shuffling system works, even if the Conservatives win again, a new face will be brought in to head Citizenship and Immigration Canada soon enough.
It’s no wonder that it takes years to get anything done. Unfortunately, it’s the immigrants who are growing old as they wait for progress on immigration integration and foreign credentials to be made.
Godwin Eni makes a good point (see page xx) that changes have to be made now to ensure Canada doesn’t go the route of countries like France in terms of immigrant “un-settlement.” He speaks with great intelligence about multiculturalism and the future of Canada.
Makes me wonder why ministers get picked regardless of their knowledge about the portfolios to which they get assigned. Wouldn’t it make sense to assign someone who actually had something intelligent to contribute to that department and then stick with them for the duration?
Who knows, maybe some real progress might actually get done that way.