The Liberal government joined with the NDP and Bloc to defeat a Conservative motion that would have stripped most federal health benefits from illegal migrants and rejected asylum claimants, voting 198 to 134 to keep the program intact.Blacklock's Reporter says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told the House the country’s immigration and social support systems are buckling under pressure, arguing Canadians expect fairness when it comes to access to publicly funded services.“Canadians have big hearts, but they expect to be treated fairly and they do expect they should get at least as good if not better services than those people who are here illegally,” Poilievre said during second reading debate. He warned the overall immigration system “is at a breaking point.”The Conservative motion called on the government to review federal benefits provided to asylum claimants to identify savings, limit benefits for rejected claimants to emergency life-saving care only, publish an annual report to Parliament detailing spending under the Interim Federal Health Program, and fast-track the removal of foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes.According to a Feb. 12 report by the Parliamentary Budget Office titled Projecting The Cost Of The Interim Health Program, the program will cost $989 million this year — about $1,363 per claimant. Spending has increased nearly fivefold from $211 million in 2020 and is projected to reach $1.5 billion next year..Poilievre said that surge comes as the health care system, housing market and labour market face “unprecedented pressure,” adding that Canadians are paying the price.Liberal MP Vince Gasparro accused Conservatives of targeting vulnerable newcomers for political gain. “Is the Honourable Member trying to save his failing leadership by attacking the most vulnerable in our society, by appealing to the radical right?” Gasparro asked. Poilievre shot back that such accusations were “the old Liberal trick.”At one point Poilievre denounced Liberal rhetoric as “disgusting,” saying millions of Canadians struggling to find family doctors or waiting for critical procedures are being maligned for raising concerns about costs and access.Conservative MP Warren Steinley argued the projected $1.5 billion price tag for the program next year is nearly equal to annual federal health transfers to Saskatchewan. “This program for bogus refugee claimants is actually the same as the transfer to the whole province,” he said, noting Saskatchewan receives roughly $1.6 billion a year..Steinley questioned how it is fair for taxpayers in his province to receive nearly the same federal health transfer as the amount allocated to asylum claimants, including those whose claims have been rejected.The Interim Federal Health Program covers prescriptions, eyeglasses, medical exams, medical aids, home visits, nursing home fees, transportation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other services. Budget analysts have confirmed benefits continue to be paid even after claims are denied, as the appeals and removal process can stretch for years before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi called the Conservative proposal “irresponsible” and “dangerous,” accusing the opposition of seeking to scapegoat immigrants to address broader systemic problems.“All of a sudden our humanity is out the window because if someone is not Canadian then we do not owe them anything,” Naqvi said. “We have no international obligations and we do not protect their human rights. The truth comes out.”
