MPs question Lena Diab's performance at question period and in committee
Criticism is coming not only from opposition parties, but also from Diab's own Liberal colleagues.
Away from the cameras, 10 Liberal MPs spoke to Radio-Canada about her performance. They were granted confidentiality in order to express themselves freely.
Of those, only one defended Diab's job performance. Although several of them emphasized that she is a "good person" in charge of a "difficult" portfolio, nine MPs said they believe that the minister is overwhelmed and are openly questioning her place at the cabinet table.
"It doesn't make sense. In the House of Commons, many MPs hold their breath when she answers questions from the opposition," said one Liberal elected official.
"We're afraid she'll put her foot in her mouth."
New Democrat Jenny Kwan, her party's immigration critic, said that both Carney and Diab are responsible for how the immigration file is handled.
"That responsibility is to be responsive to stakeholders, to take these issues seriously, to examine the policies, to evaluate them, to hear from opposition and the public and look for ways to improve them," she said.
"That is their job."
Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lena-diab-immigration-minister-criticism-9.7103914
Conservatives are capitalizing on the recent drop in public support for immigration, but risk being seen as too MAGA adjacent, say observers. Meanwhile, the immigration minister's own colleagues question her handling of the file.
The Conservatives’ defeated motion targeting health-care coverage for asylum claimants shows weaknesses on both the part of the Liberal immigration minister and the official opposition leader, with MAGA-like rhetoric posing political risk for the latter, observers say.
Jordan Leichnitz, a former NDP strategist who now works for the German non-profit Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, told The Hill Times in a Feb. 26 interview that the Conservatives’ pressure on the immigration file is a reflection of their own political fragility.
“To me, it’s a manifestation of their political weakness right now. They turn to these arguments because they’re very mobilizing for segments of their base at moments where they feel politically more vulnerable,” she said.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/02/28/failed-asylum-seeker-motion-shows-conservatives-smelled-blood-in-the-water-with-minister-immigration-as-wedge-issue-say-politicos/493465/
The cost of a Canadian passport is about to rise and plans by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to overhaul the way it sets prices could result in them being even more expensive in the future.
An order-in-council adopted in late January calls for the government to begin tying passport prices to the consumer price index (CPI). On March 31, the cost of a Canadian passport will rise by 2.7 percent, the CPI increase in April 2024.
For example, for those applying within Canada, the price of a five-year passport would rise to $123.24 and the cost of a 10 year passport would increase to $164.32. For those who apply from outside Canada, a 10-year passport would cost $267.02.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said some residents of her Vancouver East riding already have difficulty affording what has become an important piece of ID, even within Canada.
"That's another burden that the Liberal government is putting on everyday Canadians," she said.
Kwan said the plan to overhaul passport prices to better reflect the program's cost "is absolutely code for the government to look to increase the cost of accessing a passport for everyday Canadians."
Kwan said Canadians expect the government to live up to its word.
"When they make a commitment, they should follow up and make sure that they follow through," she said.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-passport-price-increase-9.7109168
At a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Jenny Kwan, the NDP critic for immigration and citizenship, calls on the federal government to reform its Special Immigration Measures program to assist Palestinians with relatives in Canada. She is joined by individuals with family members who have been impacted by the Israel–Gaza conflict. (February 26, 2026) (no interpretation)
Click image or link to watch the Ottawa press conference - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/ndp-mp-jenny-kwan-urges-govt-help-for-palestinians-with-relatives-in-canada?id=3332099f-645c-4f9d-917e-0d0b0a7c346f
Standing beside a podium in a roomful of adults, Joury Alyazji begged Canada to help her reunite with her mother, who is still trapped in war-torn Gaza.
“This month is Ramadan and my mom is not with me,” said the eight-year-old girl, with the microphone held tightly in her hands.
“I wish that every time when I wake up, I can see my mom. And I wish Canada can help me to bring my mom. I cannot be alone. I’m trying my best to speak English. I am trying to do everything to bring my mom. I wish Canada can help me. Please Canada, try your best to help me please.”
On Thursday, Joury was speaking at an Ottawa news conference to call on the federal government to urgently reform and speed up the special immigration program launched in January 2024 to provide temporary refuge to Palestinians with relatives in Canada.
Ottawa has capped the intakes for the program at 5,000 applications, which have since been filled, but many applicants are still stranded inside Gaza, unable to submit biometrics for screening or in Egypt awaiting processing.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/girl-pleads-with-ottawa-to-help-reunite-with-mom-in-gaza/article_d12bf69c-219b-4ca1-88a2-eeb85b821f28.html
Ottawa — Families deeply impacted by the Israeli attacks on Gaza joined MP Jenny Kwan to call on the federal government to urgently reform and accelerate the Special Immigration Measures program established to provide refuge to Palestinians with relatives in Canada.
In January 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a temporary public policy intended to offer safe haven to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with family ties in Canada. The government assured Canadians that if they had loved ones in Gaza, they could apply to bring them to safety. More than a year later, families say the program’s incredibly slow processing times and structural barriers have left many separated and at deep risk.
“By all accounts, this seems to be a system and a process set up by the federal government that is ultimately designed to fail. The promise of humanitarian assistance offered by Canada is, by all intents and purposes, a fiction for far too many families that have suffered through the bloodshed in Gaza,” said MP Jenny Kwan.
Opposition party calls on the government to restrict federal benefits received by rejected asylum claimants to emergency life saving health care only.
The Conservative Party introduced a motion in Parliament Tuesday proposing to restrict temporary healthcare coverage for asylum claimants.
This comes after a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) highlighted cost pressures associated with asylum claim volumes, detailing that between 2020 to 2025, the cost of the temporary health care program (IFHP) saw a 325 per cent increase, from $211 million to $896 million.
That program provides limited and temporary coverage for urgent and essential health care services, like prescription drug benefits, to government-sponsored refugees and asylum seekers.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner argued “two-tiered Liberal policies” favour non-citizens over Canadians and called on the federal government to “make the system fair,” at a press conference on Tuesday.
In a statement, NDP Immigration Critic Jenny Kwan said the Conservative’s motion is “counterproductive.” She said it won’t eliminate cost, instead it shifts the burden to hospital emergency rooms and provincial systems that have more expensive treatment costs.
“Emergency-only models create worse health outcomes and higher long-term costs,” NDP MP Jenny Kwan said.
Co-payment provision not enough, say tories
The federal government recently introduced a co-payment provision to IFHP that includes $4 for each eligible prescription medication and 30 per cent of the cost of other eligible supplemental health products and services, like dental care, vision care, counselling and assistive devices. It is set to take effect in May.
Kwan said a co-payment model ignores “decades” of health policy evidence that demonstrates user fees could deter access to essential care for low-income and medically vulnerable populations.
“The refugees and refugee claimants covered by IFHP often arrive in Canada after surviving war, persecution, torture, and prolonged displacement,” Kwan said. “They have extremely limited financial means”
Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.ipolitics.ca/2026/02/24/healthcare-refugees-ifhp-temporary-conservatives-liberal/
In the House of Commons, members of Parliament pay tribute to the late Kirsty Duncan. The former Liberal MP and cabinet minister died January 26, 2026, at the age of 59. Delivering remarks are MPs Michelle Rempel Garner (Conservative), Alexandra Mendès (Liberal), Claude DeBbellefeuille (Bloc Québécois), Jenny Kwan (NDP), and Elizabeth May (the leader of the Green Party).
Click image or link to watch the CPAC video, Jenny's speech starts at 21:44 - https://www.cpac.ca/house-of-commons-proceedings/episode/tributes-to-the-late-kirsty-duncan--february-6-2026?id=d0dbaf6f-e643-4e63-9f88-6ddc540ff2bb
OTTAWA — Housing Minister Gregor Robertson tabled legislation on Thursday to establish the federal government’s new affordable housing agency, but acknowledged Build Canada Homes has no set targets on how many homes it will build.
In December, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report that estimated the agency’s efforts would result in 26,000 directly funded units over the next five years. The federal government has said the report does not take into account the units that will result from Build Canada Homes’ partnerships with private developers and its $51-billion infrastructure fund.
Still, the PBO estimates federal spending on housing programs is set to decline by 56 per cent, from $9.8 billion in 2025-26 to $4.3 billion in 2028-29, due to expiration of funding for existing programs and cuts set out in Budget 2025.
“Canada’s non-profit housing stock has dwindled to only about four and a half percent of its total housing stock, well below the G7 average,” said NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan, in an interview with the National Post. “Countries that are doing well in addressing the housing situation is sitting at about 20 per cent.”
Click image or link to read the news story - https://nationalpost.com/news/minister-says-new-housing-agency-has-no-targets-on-number-of-homes-it-will-build