OTTAWA—On Monday, Pierre Poilievre threated to do everything he could to delay the budget from passing. By blocking the Budget legislation, Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives would stop 3.5 million Canadians from saving hundreds of dollars with free dental care.
The people Pierre Poilievre is hurting are Canadians under 18, people with disabilities and seniors struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
Meanwhile the Conservative Leader has had dental coverage since he was elected in 2004 and has been covered for more than $40,000.
“The Conservative Leader telling senior citizens that they don’t deserve the help he’s had for decades is hypocritical and wrong,” said Jagmeet Singh. “Pierre Poilievre has had dental coverage on the taxpayers’ dime for the last 20 years. And he’s telling single moms who are scrimping and saving to get their teenager to the dentist that they don’t deserve a break. He’s really showing his true colours.
When the federal government launched the permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents, it was described as a faster route for eligible Hong Kong nationals already in Canada to become permanent residents.
Five years later, the Hong Kong pathway is set to close Aug. 31, while tens of thousands of applicants are still waiting.
For applicants like Roger Yeung, the wait is no longer just about immigration paperwork. It is affecting careers, education, and the ability to plan a future in Canada.
Roger Yeung has been living in Vancouver since April 2023. He applied for permanent residence under the Hong Kong pathway in October 2024, but says there has been no progress.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan says the wait is unacceptable.
Kwan says the federal government originally promised expedited processing for Hong Kongers under the lifeboat program, and that the process appeared to work in the first year.
“The government, in this first year of implementation of the Lifeboat Stream A, Stream B program, they did expedite the process,” Kwan said.
“But then, over the years, we started to notice that the government was slowing down in the processing.”
Kwan says the problem grew after Hong Kong pathway applications were grouped under the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other category.
She said that category also includes other urgent commitments, including Ukraine and Sudan, leaving Hong Kong applicants competing for limited space.
“For Hong Kongers, there are over 33,000 applications waiting in the backlog, and that’s just for Hong Kongers,” Kwan said.
“If you add in Ukraine and Sudan, you can just imagine how lengthy the wait is.”
To clear the backlog, Kwan says the federal government should change the Immigration Levels Plan quota and allocate enough spaces to process existing applications. She also called on Ottawa to restore immigration staffing levels.
“Rebuild the trust. Honour what you promised Hong Kongers, and deliver on the program. Change the quota now,” Kwan said.
