The Harper government is presently "consulting" Canadians on what kind of immigration policy Canada should promote. Debbie Douglas and Avvy Yao-Yao Go write that the government looks at immigration -- as it looks at all things -- through an economic lens. However, there is more to immigration than economics:
For a national consultation on immigration planning to be meaningful, Canadians need to know all the relevant facts and consider the multi-purpose roles of immigration policy — a notion captured by the concept of nation-building. Immigration planning must not simply be understood as an economic imperative.
Unfortunately, the Harper government suffers from economic tunnel vision:
The government’s priority is to use immigration to support Canada’s economy. While there is nothing wrong with this objective, it is the short-sightedness and bias with which the government is approaching this goal that needs to be challenged.
Equally alarming have been many changes to a number of specific economic pathways that have given unprecedented influence to employers to determine which newcomers will ultimately be granted permanent residency status. For example, the Canadian Experience Class, the Live-in-Caregiver Program and the Foreign Skilled Worker Program all grant employers a significant role in what really is the job of the nation — determining who can acquire citizenship.
For Canada as a country to succeed, we need immigrants of all backgrounds and skills to come here to build a permanent home. For immigrants to succeed, they need to have a sense of belonging that only comes about when their entire families are integrated into Canadian society.
It's fascinating to watch the family values folks give short shrift to those values. Their motto is "Show me the money!" That's all it's ever been. And, as Douglas and Go correctly observe:
Any discussion around our future immigration plan is incomplete if it does not also include a soul-searching exercise of who we are as a people, and the values we choose to embrace. If all that Canada is about is protecting our current economic interests, and the only use of immigrants is to further that goal, then we should just make that clear — both to ourselves and to the people we are inviting to join us. But surely, there is more to Canada than our GDP index or the size of our treasury.
The Harper government perseverates about the economy. When I taught school, we paid attention to students who were stuck on one idea. It was a symptom of potential brain injury.
4 comments:
It's actually a deflection of blame for the suffering happening due to austerity. It's been happening in Europe.
To deflect blame for this economic "crisis", propoganda of far right fringe parties such as Netherlands' Geert Wilders' Freedom Party, True Fins (odd because Finland hasn't really been hit), France's Marine Le Pen's Front National, and of course, Greece's Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, does a good job of brainwashing the masses that immigrants, particularly those who are of dusky skin and having funny names, are taking their jobs and using up their tax-paid social programs--what's left of them. Immigrants become a convenient scapegoat.
Owen, you and I know that those Harpercons don't care about the economy. Immigration is more about cheap labour than anything else.
You're right, CK. Jim Flaherty and the movers and shakers agreed a couple of summers ago that one of their objectives was to lower the cost of labour.
The "economy" for these folks means "more for us, less for them."
Harper and his so called Cons are cesspools of corruption, lies, deceit and thieves. Harper is the absolute worst, most corrupt and foul P.M....in the history of this Nation.
There is resentment, towards the Chinese coming over here. Harper has handed the keys of our natural resources to China, along with the resource jobs.
Harper's Omnibus Bill permits China to sue Canada if, anyone tries to block China's huge inroads into our country. China sued in BC to take 200 BC mining jobs.
Then there is Harper's FIPA deal with China. People are outraged at, thousands of China being in Canada for 31 years.
Harper is also allowing China, to buy up our Canadian farmland.China has polluted much of their own farmland and 40% of their water. China will take our food crops to feed their thousands over here and their people in China.
Harper wants to knock Canada's wages way down. The corporations are demanding very cheap labor, such as they have in China. Harper caters exclusively to corporations. China's minimum wage is, $236 per month. Chinese resource workers in Canada earn, $800 per month.
Canada is far more danger from Harper and Communist China, than any other country. I have no idea why, Harper isn't in prison, as a traitor to Canada?
As CK says, gingersnap, it's always been about lowering Canadian wages, not nation building.
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