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Medical inadmissability and Bill C-398

On February 15th, 2018, I tabled Bill C-398 urgently calling on the Minister of Immigration to repeal an immigration law that discriminates against people with disabilities.  The Minister of Immigration admitted that Section 38(1)(c) of the Immigration Refugee Protection Act goes against Canada's stated values on inclusion and the ideals we purportedly uphold as Canadians.  

One family's permanent resident application was rejected because her son has Down Syndrome.  It was rejected even though medical assessments state that he is capable of taking care of himself and is able to work in an unskilled and semi-skilled position.  

This caregiver is a single mother who has been separated from her children for nearly a decade while she takes care of other people's children. She stated: "I always thought Canada did not discriminate against people because they are different.  I thought Canada had protections for people who are different."

Every member of the Immigration committee agree that the law needs to be repealed.

The time to act is now.  This is discriminatory law needs to be repealed.

 

Committee:

I had the opportunity to address these issues once again with the Minister, when he appeared at the Committee to discuss Canada’s Immigration Levels Plans. I was incredibly disappointed that Minister casually suggested that families will be stuck with their lives in limbo until the last possible moment the Minister has to respond to the Committee report, April 12, 2018. While the Minister may have the luxury to wait, these families don’t.

 

QP:

I rose in the House of Commons during Question Period to ask the Minister again, would he commit to adopt my Bill as a government Bill and end this injustice.

Once again, despite acknowledging that he knows this policy does not align with Canadian values and needs to change, he refused to commit to taking action. Instead, he pointed to his consultation process. For 2 years he’s been consulting.  Still there is no action. 

The Minister may not feel the urgency to act, but the families do. Their untold pain and suffering needs to end. 

 

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City TV: Concerns raised about rising cost of rentals for low-income earners: Vancouver MP

City TV: Concerns raised about rising cost of rentals for low-income earners: Vancouver MP

A Vancouver NDP MP is sounding the alarm when it comes to rent-geared-to-income housing units, saying incoming changes by the federal government will lead to a severe shortage within the affordable housing market in this country.

Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan says she’s learned that as of March 31, 2028, Ottawa will be cutting subsidy funding to non-profits that operate buildings that include units for those on a fixed income. Once those suites are vacated, she says the price of those units will be bumped to market rates.

For example, a rental suite that’s going for $650 right now could be increased to $1,800 or more.

Kwan adds these changes are happening right now at some buildings in Metro Vancouver as non-profits try to bank money to prepare for their funding to be slashed in the future.

 

Open Letter: Loss of Thousands Rent Geared to Income Subsided Units

Open Letter: Loss of Thousands Rent Geared to Income Subsided Units

Recently non-profits have been advised an Amending Agreement for some of those projects would come into effect on June 29, 2024, whereby Rent-Geared-Income (RGI) units will need to revert to market rent as soon as turnover of the existing tenant occurs as the subsidies for those units will not be renewed beyond 2028. It further stipulates that this conversion will be permanent. What this means is that Canada will permanently lose thousands of RGI units for low-income residents. This is in addition to the loss of 370,000 affordable units under the Liberal government’s watch and another 800,000 units under the Conservative’s watch.

 

This poses a significant risk to thousands of Canadians, especially Indigenous communities which are already overrepresented in homelessness and housing need. The non-market housing sector plays a crucial role in communities across Canada, offering not just shelter but stability, security, and a sense of community for its residents. Canada is already faced with a housing crisis. It is widely recognized that for every affordable housing unit built, 11 will be lost. Without the continuation of these subsidies, homelessness will be further exacerbated.

 

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