Montreal – While meeting with community leaders from the Haitian-Canadian community in Montreal, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff called on the Harper government for specific immigration measures and the dedication of resources for a long-term strategy for Haiti’s redevelopment efforts.
“This government seems to be suffering from attention deficit disorder with Haiti,” Mr. Ignatieff stated. “We have heard nothing from the Conservatives about progress on compassionate family reunification or long term planning for the redevelopment of Haiti.”
“The fate of Haiti itself remains a priority for Canadians,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “We’re talking about the fate of nine million people – who many of us here today can count as friends and as family – yet there are no concrete measures in place to ensure that the fate of loved ones – and the fate of Haiti itself remains a priority for Canadians.”
Ignatieff took the opportunity of the Montreal meeting to outline the approach he believes the government must make in the months ahead. It includes:
• As a complement to Quebec’s special immigration measures, the government of Canada must also implement the provision to allow Canadians to sponsor adult children or siblings and their dependents from Haiti. People who wish to sponsor these relatives can also have any Canadian resident co-sign the sponsorship application, whether they are related to the sponsor or not. The government must also commit the necessary resources to process applications in a far more expedited way.
• A commitment for the necessary funding and resources to expand our presence to include construction equipment such as backhoes, pickup trucks and construction cranes – to get necessary infrastructure projects moving.
Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae – who recently returned from a visit from Haiti where he met with elected representatives, senior bureaucrats and aid workers from various NGOs to discuss redevelopment efforts – affirmed that with the exit of Canada’s troops from the island, there is a growing gap between what Canadians feel we should be doing for the country and what the Harper government is prepared to contribute in the months ahead.
“Our troops did a wonderful job in responding to the Haitian crisis at the time, and their heroic efforts will not be forgotten,” said Mr. Rae. “But with them leaving, it is clear that much heavy lifting – and heavy equipment – will be necessary going forward. With so much work still to be done, we simply cannot let our commitment wane – as this government seems content to do – now that Haiti is no longer in the news cycle.”
Liberal MP Denis Coderre added that the Liberal plan for Haiti would also actively involve those in the community to foster private partnerships and play an active role in economic redevelopment.
“There is a wealth of talent, a long list of truly exceptional Canadians with deep ties to Haiti whom we should be reaching out to for our long term commitment. A Liberal government would ensure that Haiti remains a priority for Canada. We’re not just talking about disaster relief for a neighbouring country. In a very real sense, we’re talking about a tragedy that has touched our families, and we should respond to it accordingly.”
