Madam Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the hon. member for Vancouver East and outline investments that our government has recently announced to enhance the integrity of Canada's border and asylum systems.

Recently, the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction met with Amnesty International, as well as with representatives of various women's organizations to provide an overview of our proposed changes.

First and foremost, I assure the member opposite that we are committed to a fair and compassionate refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, and despite her accusations, a GBA+ analysis was in fact conducted.

Through budget 2019, we are proposing to provide the necessary investments to our border enforcement strategy to process an increased number of asylum claims and to provide timely protection to refugees. Our goal is to encourage those truly in need to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity in order to receive it quickly and efficiently. Let me be clear: No person will be turned away if they are deemed to be at risk, and nobody will be removed without an opportunity to be heard.

As Jean-Nicolas Beuze, a representative from United Nations human rights commission, has stated, we are upholding our international and domestic legal obligations as well as a welcoming approach, as claimants will still have access to a robust oral hearing, subject to appeal, whereby they will receive Canada's protection if found to be at risk of danger or prosecution.

My hon. colleague often discusses the need to support the most vulnerable. However, the NDP's actions sometimes do not match their words. The NDP voted against providing additional settlement supports to visible minority newcomer women to reduce barriers to employment. The NDP also voted against resettling a higher number of women and girl refugees after our government moved to increase the number of permanent resident admission spaces for government-assisted refugees. The NDP also voted against five days of paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

We have listened to the concerns that were raised, and strengthened our proposed legislation by voting to ensure that the right to an oral hearing, as requested by many, is guaranteed and will be enshrined into law.

Whereas the member opposite expressed concerns with our bill, it is worth noting that the NDP was the only party not to offer any amendments or proposals to strengthen the bill, despite having been given the opportunity to do so.

Global migration is responsible for the largest number of displaced people since the Second World War, and Canada has obviously also been impacted. Unlike the New Democrats, who seem to want to drastically reduce our borders, our government seeks to maintain the integrity of immigration and asylum systems, which are based on rules and orderly migration.

We will always provide due process and uphold international law for those seeking asylum, because that is what Canadians expect from us.

Peter Schiefke

$540,245.00