Fixing What Harper Broke: A to-do list

[Argus]

I'm saying that Kevin Page has no standing that would give him privileged access beyond that of the public.

So ... yes. It's not the public's business what the government bases its budget calculations on. Gotcha. Open and transparent, eh? LOL

[Smallc]

So ... yes. It's not the public's business what the government bases its budget calculations on.

Shouldn't we - you know - wait for the budget?

[Argus]

Shouldn't we - you know - wait for the budget?

Why? They've already brought in a statement that we're $18.5 billion in deficit. All of a sudden. Despite the Finance department saying we were in surplus two months ago. Based on what calculations? They won't say.

You think they're suddenly going to open up to the public - or anyone else - about how they arrived at that $18.5 billion "existing deficit" when they bring out the budget?

[Smallc]

Why? They've already brought in a statement that we're $18.5 billion in deficit. All of a sudden. Despite the Finance department saying we were in surplus two months ago. Based on what calculations? They won't say.

That's the projection for next year, including a $6B error margin.

You think they're suddenly going to open up to the public - or anyone else - about how they arrived at that $18.5 billion "existing deficit" when they bring out the budget?

I would expect so, yes.

[Argus]

So the Liberals are going ahead with a plan to reverse a Conservative immigration policy which addressed marriage fraud. Under the Tories, overseas spouses had to wait 2 years before gaining permanent residency in Canada. The Liberals apparently see no reason why a foreign partner should have to live with their beloved spouse for two whole years. What if they don't like them, after all? Now, thankfully, you can divorce your new partner the day after you arrive in Canada and still stay here for the rest of your life.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/liberals-to-scrap-two-year-delay-before-spouses-from-overseas-win-permanent-residency

[CITIZEN_2015]

Wow, then may be I should have married the Russian beauty I met last year when travelling Europe as I could have her two years in return for her citizenship lol. But seriously I am not sure that it will go completely unchecked as the post above is insinuating, like divorce the next day after arrival and she can retain her immigration status??!!.

[bush_cheney2004]

.... Now, thankfully, you can divorce your new partner the day after you arrive in Canada and still stay here for the rest of your life.

Don't feel too badly...a lot of 'em emigrate to the United States !

[cybercoma]

Does anyone have numbers on immigration fraud by marriage or shall we just make up premises to support our preconceived conclusions?

[Argus]

Wow, then may be I should have married the Russian beauty I met last year when travelling Europe as I could have her two years in return for her citizenship lol. But seriously I am not sure that it will go completely unchecked as the post above is insinuating, like divorce the next day after arrival and she can retain her immigration status??!!.

Yes. Absolutely. There is nothing in the law which says otherwise, or won't be once it reverts to the way it was. A lot of foreigners found that romancing, seducing and marrying a Canadian was a quick and easy route to permanent residency here. They simply divorce them after arrival.

[The_Squid]

Yes. Absolutely. There is nothing in the law which says otherwise, or won't be once it reverts to the way it was. A lot of foreigners found that romancing, seducing and marrying a Canadian was a quick and easy route to permanent residency here. They simply divorce them after arrival.

How many?

[bush_cheney2004]

Does anyone have numbers on immigration fraud by marriage or shall we just make up premises to support our preconceived conclusions?

Marriage fraud in Canadian immigration has been widely reported for years, with numbers:

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Federal+report+warns+marriages+convenience+threat+immigration+system/10953202/story.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/fraud-squads-chase-down-marriages-of-convenience/article959411/

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/17/no-jail-time-for-man-involved-in-massive-marriage-fraud-scheme

[WestCoastRunner]

So the Liberals are going ahead with a plan to reverse a Conservative immigration policy which addressed marriage fraud. Under the Tories, overseas spouses had to wait 2 years before gaining permanent residency in Canada. The Liberals apparently see no reason why a foreign partner should have to live with their beloved spouse for two whole years. What if they don't like them, after all? Now, thankfully, you can divorce your new partner the day after you arrive in Canada and still stay here for the rest of your life.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/liberals-to-scrap-two-year-delay-before-spouses-from-overseas-win-permanent-residency

You didn't mention why it was being dropped.

The following from your linked article:

"But other immigration specialists praised the pending move, saying the two-year delay had unintended consequences that put new immigrants, especially women, in a vulnerable position."

"Marriage fraud was a problem, there is no question about that, said Vancouver immigration lawyer Alex Stojicevic, past-chairman of the Canadian Bar Associations immigration section and an adjunct professor at the University of B.C."

"But the policy caused more problems than it solved (by creating) incentives (for sponsored spouses) to stay in abusive and bad relationships simply to keep their status."

"He said the separate prohibition on a second spousal sponsorship less than five years after an initial marriage should be an effective deterrent."

"

Stojicevic noted that Citizenship and Immigration Canada has also developed sophisticated tools in recent years to detect marriage fraud, making a Draconian measure like the two-year delay unnecessary."

"Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said there are other tools to discourage fraud, like a mid-2015 regulation that excluded proxy marriages executed via telephone, fax or the Internet."

[cybercoma]

Marriage fraud in Canadian immigration has been widely reported for years, with numbers:

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Federal+report+warns+marriages+convenience+threat+immigration+system/10953202/story.html

So they denied 17% of the 4500 applicants in 2011. Nothing in the new law even suggests that they would stop rejecting fraudulent claims.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/fraud-squads-chase-down-marriages-of-convenience/article959411/

No numbers at all.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/17/no-jail-time-for-man-involved-in-massive-marriage-fraud-scheme

350 fake marriage arranged by 40 people over 2007, 2008, and 2009. The one guy they were investigating conducted 20 in that time. The only article that has numbers on marriage applications says there's 4500 in one year.

This doesn't seem very widespread and it seems the problems have been identified and are being dealt with just fine.

[cybercoma]

You didn't mention why it was being dropped.

The following from your linked article:

"But other immigration specialists praised the pending move, saying the two-year delay had unintended consequences that put new immigrants, especially women, in a vulnerable position."

"Marriage fraud was a problem, there is no question about that, said Vancouver immigration lawyer Alex Stojicevic, past-chairman of the Canadian Bar Associations immigration section and an adjunct professor at the University of B.C."

"But the policy caused more problems than it solved (by creating) incentives (for sponsored spouses) to stay in abusive and bad relationships simply to keep their status."

"He said the separate prohibition on a second spousal sponsorship less than five years after an initial marriage should be an effective deterrent."

"

Stojicevic noted that Citizenship and Immigration Canada has also developed sophisticated tools in recent years to detect marriage fraud, making a Draconian measure like the two-year delay unnecessary."

"Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said there are other tools to discourage fraud, like a mid-2015 regulation that excluded proxy marriages executed via telephone, fax or the Internet."

This about sums up the fact that eh have things under control without the unnecessary law that forces abused partners to stay in relationships so as not to be deported.

[WestCoastRunner]

This about sums up the fact that eh have things under control without the unnecessary law that forces abused partners to stay in relationships so as not to be deported.

However, I'm assuming that People who oppose this move believe that immigrant women's safety aren't as important. (And men).

Edited March 1, 2016 by WestCoastRunner

[Argus]

How many?

Enough that Border Services said it threatened the integrity of the Canadian immigration system.

[WestCoastRunner]

Enough that Border Services said it threatened the integrity of the Canadian immigration system.

And they are experts on this matter?

[bush_cheney2004]

...This doesn't seem very widespread and it seems the problems have been identified and are being dealt with just fine.

In other words, not a made up premise at all. Thanks for playing.

[WestCoastRunner]

In other words, not a made up premise at all. Thanks for playing.

Can you expand further?

[Argus]

You didn't mention why it was being dropped.

Liberals sucking up to the immigrant community and the immigratoin lawyers who donate so much time and effort to the cause.

"But other immigration specialists praised the pending move, saying the two-year delay had unintended consequences that put new immigrants, especially women, in a vulnerable position."

Yes, I'm not surprised immigration lawyers opposed the delay. The primary money source for immigration lawyers is advising immigrants and would-be immigrants how to defraud the system, after all. Less fraudulent marriages means less moolah for the greedy scum.

"But the policy caused more problems than it solved (by creating) incentives (for sponsored spouses) to stay in abusive and bad relationships simply to keep their status."

And yet didn't present a single case of that happening. How often do you believe people get married and that the man immediately starts beating his wife anyway?

And if the only reason you immigrate to a strange new country is because you met and fell in love with someone, wouldn't you just prefer to leave if he turned out to be a brute anyway?

[Argus]

And they are experts on this matter?

Uh....

I think we can trust Border Services to safeguard our immigration system more than the pimps of the legal world, ie, immigration lawyers.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Argus

[WestCoastRunner]

Uh....

I think we can trust Border Services to safeguard our immigration system more than the pimps of the legal world, ie, immigration lawyers.

Really? Those thugs at the border.

[WestCoastRunner]

Liberals sucking up to the immigrant community and the immigratoin lawyers who donate so much time and effort to the cause.

Yes, I'm not surprised immigration lawyers opposed the delay. The primary money source for immigration lawyers is advising immigrants and would-be immigrants how to defraud the system, after all. Less fraudulent marriages means less moolah for the greedy scum.

And yet didn't present a single case of that happening. How often do you believe people get married and that the man immediately starts beating his wife anyway?

And if the only reason you immigrate to a strange new country is because you met and fell in love with someone, wouldn't you just prefer to leave if he turned out to be a brute anyway?

Many of these marriages are pre-arranged. They don't meet and fall in love. These aren't marriages contrived from Mexican vacations.

[WestCoastRunner]

Liberals sucking up to the immigrant community and the immigratoin lawyers who donate so much time and effort to the cause.

Yes, I'm not surprised immigration lawyers opposed the delay. The primary money source for immigration lawyers is advising immigrants and would-be immigrants how to defraud the system, after all. Less fraudulent marriages means less moolah for the greedy scum.

And yet didn't present a single case of that happening. How often do you believe people get married and that the man immediately starts beating his wife anyway?

And if the only reason you immigrate to a strange new country is because you met and fell in love with someone, wouldn't you just prefer to leave if he turned out to be a brute anyway?

You continue to post your outlandish opinions with no facts to back you up.

[The_Squid]

Really? Those thugs at the border.

That's a dumb thing to say and doesn't help your argument at all.