OCASI Response to Speech from the Throne
July 13, 2005
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) is deeply concerned that anti-racism and equity for immigrants and refugees received barely a nod in the February 2, 2004 Speech from the Throne in the Parliament of Canada.
While the speech referred to ‘openness to immigrants and refugees’, there were no specific plans to address the settlement and integration needs of these communities, such as the critical need for increased labour market participation for all newcomers.
In light of the findings from several recent reports (The rise in low-income rates among immigrants in Canada – Statistics Canada; Does a Rising Tide Lift All Boats – Canadian Council on Social Development; Canada’s Creeping Economic Apartheid – Centre for Social Justice) that there is growing poverty of immigrant communities in Canada as well as the racialization of poverty, this remains a serious gap in the speech. Meanwhile, the Council commends the Government for its commitment to ensuring speedier recognition of foreign credentials and prior work experience.
OCASI also welcomes the commitment to providing GST relief for cities, together with increased support for municipalities by targeting needs such as housing and transportation among others. The erosion of municipal services has had its greatest impact on immigrants and refugees, who have tended to settle in urban centres over the past ten years, as documented in the 2001 Census. However, real change in the living conditions of these marginalized populations will require increased cooperation between the three levels of government to respond effectively to critical survival needs in housing, education and employment, as well as others.
The Council is pleased at the commitment for increased support for aboriginal communities and aboriginal self-government, and urges that such initiatives should be led by those communities.
While the commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs and artists is generally positive, the Council strongly believes that all such initiatives must be informed by an anti-racism analysis and one that will sustain the full participation of immigrants and refugees.
The continued reference to Canada’s two founding nations is troubling in its exclusion of native communities and others. Also troubling is the reference to Canada’s linguistic duality, which omits any reference to native linguistic communities, as well the country’s current reality.
The Council remains cautiously optimistic regarding the commitments in the Throne Speech. The real impact on immigrant and refugee communities remains to be seen, and can be calculated only after reviewing the expenditure of all departments.