The Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, released the following statement in response to reports of the latest Liberal immigration reversal:

“Before Parliament rose for the summer, the Liberals were forced to admit that their approach to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) was not in line with the interests of Canadians. 

“The IFHP provides free healthcare coverage to asylum seekers, including those appealing failed applications. That extends to things not covered for most Canadians, like drug prescriptions, eye care, physiotherapy, home care and speech therapy. 

“After insisting for months nothing was wrong, the government refused to withdraw these benefits, and instead told Canadians it would make coverage conditional on a copay. They have now changed direction again by withdrawing the copay requirement.

“Conservatives found that many bogus asylum claimants have access to this program, bolstering the costs to Canadians by over $1 billion per year according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. 

“This is a pattern for this Liberal government: promising Canadians they will get a handle on an issue, and then doing nothing or quietly rolling back changes when they believe nobody is looking. Whether in trade negotiations or immigration, this approach only creates confusion, mistrust and instability.

“Canada’s seniors are again going to pay for coverage for those who have not paid into the system, and they will be competing for spaces in nursing homes that already are overburdened. Introducing additional international competition in elder care is unfair and must be stopped.

“More than 100,000 Canadians have died waiting for care since 2018. Six million Canadians, 1 in 5, lack access to a family doctor. Wait times to see a specialist are over 28 weeks (seven months). Each of these visits put on the system via the IHFP are an additional demand on Canada’s already overburdened Canadian healthcare infrastructure. 

“Canada’s immigration system remains out of control, and it desperately needs order and stability to recover. It cannot be fixed with reversals and shifts that change on a whim. 

“In February, Conservatives tabled a motion to restrict access to failed asylum claimants’ healthcare benefits to emergency lifesaving care. Unsurprisingly, the Liberals voted against it. Fairness and balance should be the hallmark of our healthcare system, and Conservatives will keep fighting to make that a reality.”