Bob Saroya

Mr. Speaker, yet again the current government has failed Canadians at our borders. More than 400 Mexicans with ties to drug cartels have entered Canada since the Liberals removed visas for Mexico. Can the Prime Minister please tell us what his plan is to return these criminals back to Mexico?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberal government announced another $114 million for illegal border crossers. Yesterday, the Liberals also closed the application window to sponsor parents and grandparents in just 10 minutes. Under the current Prime Minister, if people are illegally entering the country, they get immediate entry into Canada and free hotel rooms, yet if one's grandmother is trying to legally enter the country, she would get the door shut in her face. Why is the Prime Minister making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Liberals' lack of planning has resulted in Syrian refugees being extorted by crooked immigration consultants. These consultants are charging Syrian refugees thousands of dollars and selling them false hope of coming to Canada. The previous Conservative government cracked down on crooked consultants. When are the Liberals going to close the door on those who are taking advantage of the most vulnerable?

Mr. Speaker, we know two things. First, the Prime Minister believes the Indian government is responsible for a convicted terrorist embarrassing him on his trip. Second, the Liberal MP has been punished for inviting the convicted terrorist on the trip. For the Prime Minister, how can these two things both be true? When will the Prime Minister stop hiding the facts, and show us the evidence?

Mr. Speaker, for months the Prime Minister has been trying to keep the truth from Canadians, and now he is threatening a lawsuit and trying to silence his opponents. It will not work. Canadians want the Prime Minister to present his evidence in a court of law.When will the Prime Minister follow through on his threat, or is he just talk, no walk?

Mr. Speaker, in my GTA riding, I constantly hear from families, seniors, and businesses about how difficult it is to make ends meet with the high cost of hydro. In Ontario, the Liberals implemented their green energy plan. Electricity rates skyrocketed to the highest in North America. It was such a disaster that Premier Wynne was forced to apologize. Now, the Prime Minister is copying the same plan.Why are the Liberals shutting down Canadian businesses and putting families out of work?

Mr. Speaker, the immigration committee has heard testimony from Syrian refugees. They are stuck in bug-ridden apartments, isolated without language training services, and cut off from the job market.Could the minister tell the House when he will start providing refugees with the tools they need to thrive in Canada?

Madam Speaker, the Edmonton-based Islamic Family and Social Services Association has said, “The government needs to step up” and that it needs to boost support for Syrian refugees who are increasingly turning to the food banks to eat. One representative said, “It's a huge problem”, that the Liberals are “not great with helping them resettle”. Did the Liberals just pick an arbitrary number and think they could wash their hands clean of the rest?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are so concerned with the refugee numbers that they have forgotten the people themselves.The Liberals have failed to support Syrian refugees once they arrive, and many of them are using food banks while making the transition to Canada.How could the minister have been so arrogant as to suggest it is a Syrian cultural value to depend on food banks?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing every failed Kathleen Wynne policy. Wynne was forced to apologize for driving energy prices so high they are unaffordable for seniors and families. Wynne had to end her cash for access fundraising scheme, because everyone demanded she stop this unethical shakedown. Wynne also had to admit that her infrastructure plan built a bridge upside down. Why do these Liberals not take Kathleen Wynne's lead, apologize, and quit following all her bad ideas?

Mr. Speaker, a few decades ago, over 200,000 Sikhs lived in Afghanistan. That number has dwindled to less than 2,000 today. Afghani Sikhs continually encounter social discrimination and physical intimidation and now remain stuck in the surrounding countries. Why have the Liberals expressed an attitude of indifference toward the plight of Afghani Sikhs and failed to resettle them to Canada under section 13?

Mr. Speaker, the 2016 Liberal immigration scheme cuts 8,000 caregivers from coming to Canada and taking care of those in need. Canadians all over the country have benefited from this program over the past 10 years. Now they will have to suffer because of this reckless Liberal cut.Could the minister explain to Canadians why the Liberals think axing 8,000 caregivers is a good idea?

Mr. Speaker, when Canadian business people travel to the United States, their cellphones could be seized and searched by U.S. customs officials. Their cellphones contain confidential client data. By handing over their cellphones, they are violating the confidentiality of their clients.How can Canadian business people travelling to the U.S. ensure that their clients' data remains private?

Madam Speaker, support groups from across the country are struggling to meet the needs of refugees brought to Canada. Government-sponsored refugees are using food banks to meet their day-to-day needs. They are not gaining language training services and they are not being empowered to successfully transition to life in Canada. Why did the Liberals focus on bringing in government-sponsored refugees if they had no plan to support these refugees?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives oversaw the highest sustained targets of economic immigration in our history. Under the 2016 Liberal immigration scheme tabled on Tuesday, 25,000 economic immigrant spots will be cut. Could the minister explain why the Liberals intend to keep so many economic immigrants from coming to Canada and growing our economy?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' fully costed campaign platform pegged the cost of their Syrian refugee program at $250 million. We know now that it will be several times that. Lack of advanced planning on behalf of the Liberals has resulted in millions of dollars being wasted on unused hotel rooms, staff overtime, and transportation. Do the Liberals have any idea how much the Syrian refugee program will actually cost?

Mr. Speaker, Syrian refugees are being abandoned by the Liberal government in cramped, temporary accommodations. Can the minister confirm if in fact in London, Ontario, one of the hotels in which these refugees are being housed is located next door to a gentlemen's club, which features exotic dancers? Can the minister tell Canadians how much these so-called temporary accommodations are costing taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that the Prime Minister's famous tweet will cost Canadian taxpayers over $1 billion by 2020. This does not include millions spent by the provinces on top of it. Since that tweet, 38,000 illegal border crossers have walked into Canada. Meanwhile, real refugees who play by the rules continue to wait for years. When will the Prime Minister admit his failures at the border and fix this crisis immediately?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claimed that bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada was only a matter of political will. From November 1 to December 14, 2015, the government brought in a grand total of 105 government-assisted Syrian refugees.Can the minister explain why it broke its biggest election promise and now sees government-sponsored refugees spending weeks in hotels as perfectly normal?

Mr. Speaker, my question is very simple. Has the Government of Canada received, in writing, from the American government that the U.S. travel ban of citizens from the affected seven countries will not affect Canadians with dual citizenship and permanent residency travelling to the U.S.?

Mr. Speaker, even the Liberals' diminished refugee targets will require significant resources to be achieved. We still need to process applications in the other immigration streams including refugee claims from other parts of the world, spousal applications, and visitor visas. Could the minister explain how diverting human resources to process Syrian refugee applications will impact other areas of our immigration system?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have promised to remove the visa requirement on Mexico. The Liberals have also promised to base their decisions on evidence.Since a visa requirement was imposed on Mexico, the asylum rate for Mexican nationals during the last four years has remained below 1%. In 2008, prior to the imposition of a visa, the asylum rate was above 25%.Would the minister tell Canadians why he is making changes when the evidence clearly does not back it up?

Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?

Mr. Speaker, Canadian entrepreneurs work hard and want to ensure that their children have a better life than theirs. These new tax changes will hurt these Canadians. The Prime Minister's intentions are clear: he wants to make local businesses pay more taxes to fund his out-of-control spending. This is not fair.When will the Liberals stop their attacks on small business owners?

Mr. Speaker, since the visa requirement was introduced four years ago, the asylum rate for Mexican nationals has remained below 1%. In 2008, prior to imposing a visa, the asylum rate was above 25%. The Liberals have not conducted a visa exemption review and yet they have promised to lift the restriction. What are the Liberals doing to ensure the asylum rate does not increase when they lift the visa requirement for Mexico?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has been eager to make promises without plans. The refugee resettlement plan is failing. Health workers who are volunteering to work with Syrian refugees are confused about how many refugees are coming, what sort of care they will need, and who is going to foot the bill.When is the Liberal government going to provide a real plan that works for refugees?

Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Toronto has asked for federal support, with the major increase in refugees coming to Toronto. The number of refugee claimants in the Toronto shelter system has increased to almost 40% of the total system and continues to rise. There is a strain on food banks, and the city's programs are reaching their limits. Does the Prime Minister think it is fair that Toronto has to pay for his failure?

Mr. Speaker, some Syrian refugees have been stuck in cramped temporary accommodations for weeks. They have said that there is hardly any communication from the government. We are also hearing reports of low-income Canadians being asked to leave their housing to make room for the Syrian refugees.Will the minister apologize to Canadians and refugees for his failure to provide long-term living solutions for Syrian refugees, because refugees are people, not a number on a scorecard?

Mr. Speaker, Afghan Sikh refugees have been sitting in transit in India for the last two years hoping to come to Canada to escape persecution and war. The Prime Minister has received letters from the Sikh community leaders asking him to intervene, but so far, there has been only silence. Why does the Prime Minister not have the decency to at least respond to their letters?

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I met Keith who owns three restaurants and employs 90 people. I met him while he was working a double shift just to make his payroll. He is working seven days a week just to survive. The government continues to make it harder for his restaurant to be successful, but it gets worse. He does not even know what changes he will face on January 1.Is this Minister of Finance so preoccupied with his many ethical messes that he does not have the time to do his job?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the City of Toronto announced that it would be opening two emergency services to deal with the arrival of illegal migrants in the city. Mayor John Tory has made it clear that he will have to take extreme measures if more is not done to stop the redirected Quebec migrants. We have a city in a state of crisis.When will the minister finally close the loophole in the safe third country agreement?

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is on the record saying, “Are we treating Syrians differently than refugees from other parts of the world? Yes we are.”Can the minister confirm that this is the government's policy and explain if being treated differently means being stuck in temporary cramped housing for weeks?

Madam Speaker, the opioid crisis is growing every year. The number of deaths due to overdose are increasing at an alarming rate. In 2016, there were just over 3,000 opioid related deaths in Canada. In 2017, the number jumped to almost 4,000. That is a 33% increase over just one year. These are preventable deaths. When will we see the real plan from the government to address this very troubling issue?

Mr. Speaker, Mary Ng, the Liberal candidate in Markham—Thornhill and former director of appointments to the Prime Minister, bragged she was responsible for the appointment of members of the Immigration and Refugee Board. The Prime Minister's hand-picked candidate is undermining the confidence in the board. Could the Prime Minister ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?

Mr. Speaker, some Syrian refugees have been stuck in cramped temporary accommodations for weeks. They have said that there is hardly any communication from the government. We are also hearing reports of low-income Canadians being asked to leave their housing to make room for the Syrian refugees.Will the minister apologize to Canadians and refugees for his failure to provide long-term living solutions for Syrian refugees, because refugees are people, not a number on a scorecard?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing every failed Kathleen Wynne policy. Wynne was forced to apologize for driving energy prices so high they are unaffordable for seniors and families. Wynne had to end her cash for access fundraising scheme, because everyone demanded she stop this unethical shakedown. Wynne also had to admit that her infrastructure plan built a bridge upside down. Why do these Liberals not take Kathleen Wynne's lead, apologize, and quit following all her bad ideas?

Mr. Speaker, a few decades ago, over 200,000 Sikhs lived in Afghanistan. That number has dwindled to less than 2,000 today. Afghani Sikhs continually encounter social discrimination and physical intimidation and now remain stuck in the surrounding countries. Why have the Liberals expressed an attitude of indifference toward the plight of Afghani Sikhs and failed to resettle them to Canada under section 13?

Mr. Speaker, in my GTA riding, I constantly hear from families, seniors, and businesses about how difficult it is to make ends meet with the high cost of hydro. In Ontario, the Liberals implemented their green energy plan. Electricity rates skyrocketed to the highest in North America. It was such a disaster that Premier Wynne was forced to apologize. Now, the Prime Minister is copying the same plan.Why are the Liberals shutting down Canadian businesses and putting families out of work?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Liberals' lack of planning has resulted in Syrian refugees being extorted by crooked immigration consultants. These consultants are charging Syrian refugees thousands of dollars and selling them false hope of coming to Canada. The previous Conservative government cracked down on crooked consultants. When are the Liberals going to close the door on those who are taking advantage of the most vulnerable?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have promised to remove the visa requirement on Mexico. The Liberals have also promised to base their decisions on evidence.Since a visa requirement was imposed on Mexico, the asylum rate for Mexican nationals during the last four years has remained below 1%. In 2008, prior to the imposition of a visa, the asylum rate was above 25%.Would the minister tell Canadians why he is making changes when the evidence clearly does not back it up?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberal government announced another $114 million for illegal border crossers. Yesterday, the Liberals also closed the application window to sponsor parents and grandparents in just 10 minutes. Under the current Prime Minister, if people are illegally entering the country, they get immediate entry into Canada and free hotel rooms, yet if one's grandmother is trying to legally enter the country, she would get the door shut in her face. Why is the Prime Minister making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, Afghan Sikh refugees have been sitting in transit in India for the last two years hoping to come to Canada to escape persecution and war. The Prime Minister has received letters from the Sikh community leaders asking him to intervene, but so far, there has been only silence. Why does the Prime Minister not have the decency to at least respond to their letters?

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is on the record saying, “Are we treating Syrians differently than refugees from other parts of the world? Yes we are.”Can the minister confirm that this is the government's policy and explain if being treated differently means being stuck in temporary cramped housing for weeks?

Madam Speaker, support groups from across the country are struggling to meet the needs of refugees brought to Canada. Government-sponsored refugees are using food banks to meet their day-to-day needs. They are not gaining language training services and they are not being empowered to successfully transition to life in Canada. Why did the Liberals focus on bringing in government-sponsored refugees if they had no plan to support these refugees?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives oversaw the highest sustained targets of economic immigration in our history. Under the 2016 Liberal immigration scheme tabled on Tuesday, 25,000 economic immigrant spots will be cut. Could the minister explain why the Liberals intend to keep so many economic immigrants from coming to Canada and growing our economy?

Mr. Speaker, Syrian refugees are being abandoned by the Liberal government in cramped, temporary accommodations. Can the minister confirm if in fact in London, Ontario, one of the hotels in which these refugees are being housed is located next door to a gentlemen's club, which features exotic dancers? Can the minister tell Canadians how much these so-called temporary accommodations are costing taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, the 2016 Liberal immigration scheme cuts 8,000 caregivers from coming to Canada and taking care of those in need. Canadians all over the country have benefited from this program over the past 10 years. Now they will have to suffer because of this reckless Liberal cut.Could the minister explain to Canadians why the Liberals think axing 8,000 caregivers is a good idea?

Mr. Speaker, we know two things. First, the Prime Minister believes the Indian government is responsible for a convicted terrorist embarrassing him on his trip. Second, the Liberal MP has been punished for inviting the convicted terrorist on the trip. For the Prime Minister, how can these two things both be true? When will the Prime Minister stop hiding the facts, and show us the evidence?

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I met Keith who owns three restaurants and employs 90 people. I met him while he was working a double shift just to make his payroll. He is working seven days a week just to survive. The government continues to make it harder for his restaurant to be successful, but it gets worse. He does not even know what changes he will face on January 1.Is this Minister of Finance so preoccupied with his many ethical messes that he does not have the time to do his job?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claimed that bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada was only a matter of political will. From November 1 to December 14, 2015, the government brought in a grand total of 105 government-assisted Syrian refugees.Can the minister explain why it broke its biggest election promise and now sees government-sponsored refugees spending weeks in hotels as perfectly normal?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that the Prime Minister's famous tweet will cost Canadian taxpayers over $1 billion by 2020. This does not include millions spent by the provinces on top of it. Since that tweet, 38,000 illegal border crossers have walked into Canada. Meanwhile, real refugees who play by the rules continue to wait for years. When will the Prime Minister admit his failures at the border and fix this crisis immediately?

Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?

Mr. Speaker, Canadian entrepreneurs work hard and want to ensure that their children have a better life than theirs. These new tax changes will hurt these Canadians. The Prime Minister's intentions are clear: he wants to make local businesses pay more taxes to fund his out-of-control spending. This is not fair.When will the Liberals stop their attacks on small business owners?

Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Toronto has asked for federal support, with the major increase in refugees coming to Toronto. The number of refugee claimants in the Toronto shelter system has increased to almost 40% of the total system and continues to rise. There is a strain on food banks, and the city's programs are reaching their limits. Does the Prime Minister think it is fair that Toronto has to pay for his failure?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has been eager to make promises without plans. The refugee resettlement plan is failing. Health workers who are volunteering to work with Syrian refugees are confused about how many refugees are coming, what sort of care they will need, and who is going to foot the bill.When is the Liberal government going to provide a real plan that works for refugees?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' fully costed campaign platform pegged the cost of their Syrian refugee program at $250 million. We know now that it will be several times that. Lack of advanced planning on behalf of the Liberals has resulted in millions of dollars being wasted on unused hotel rooms, staff overtime, and transportation. Do the Liberals have any idea how much the Syrian refugee program will actually cost?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the City of Toronto announced that it would be opening two emergency services to deal with the arrival of illegal migrants in the city. Mayor John Tory has made it clear that he will have to take extreme measures if more is not done to stop the redirected Quebec migrants. We have a city in a state of crisis.When will the minister finally close the loophole in the safe third country agreement?

Mr. Speaker, Mary Ng, the Liberal candidate in Markham—Thornhill and former director of appointments to the Prime Minister, bragged she was responsible for the appointment of members of the Immigration and Refugee Board. The Prime Minister's hand-picked candidate is undermining the confidence in the board. Could the Prime Minister ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?

Madam Speaker, the Edmonton-based Islamic Family and Social Services Association has said, “The government needs to step up” and that it needs to boost support for Syrian refugees who are increasingly turning to the food banks to eat. One representative said, “It's a huge problem”, that the Liberals are “not great with helping them resettle”. Did the Liberals just pick an arbitrary number and think they could wash their hands clean of the rest?

Madam Speaker, the opioid crisis is growing every year. The number of deaths due to overdose are increasing at an alarming rate. In 2016, there were just over 3,000 opioid related deaths in Canada. In 2017, the number jumped to almost 4,000. That is a 33% increase over just one year. These are preventable deaths. When will we see the real plan from the government to address this very troubling issue?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are so concerned with the refugee numbers that they have forgotten the people themselves.The Liberals have failed to support Syrian refugees once they arrive, and many of them are using food banks while making the transition to Canada.How could the minister have been so arrogant as to suggest it is a Syrian cultural value to depend on food banks?