Candidates from both Central Okanagan ridings met at the Kelowna Downtown Library on Saturday (Sept. 22) to discuss immigration, refugees and migrant workers with their potential constituents.

Nine of the 12 candidates from both Kelowna-Lake Country and Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola showed up to the forum, which was sponsored by Amnesty International: Kelowna, KAIROS (BC-Yukon) and Citizens for Public Justice.

The format of the forum saw each party given 10 minutes to tackle all three issues followed by a session of audience-submitted questions.

John Barr (Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party of Canada - Kelowna-Lake Country), though not present, did send a proxy in Peter Neville, the president of the Kelowna-Lake Country Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party of Canada riding association.

And it was him sa国际传媒� as well as his party sa国际传媒� who drew the ire of some of the crowd, several of whom belonged to the groups being discussed.

sa国际传媒淲e have to recognize that certain parts of immigrants cause large expenses for Canadian taxpayers,sa国际传媒� said Neville.

sa国际传媒淭here are some (immigrants) who do not benefit (Canada) very much. We want to limit the sponsorship to people who are in the immediate family immigrating to Canada. That means that parents, grandparents and so on, have to come in on their own merits,sa国际传媒� Neville said.

He continued, saying that immigrants are a burden to our medical and welfare systems, which caused several reactions from members of the crowd sa国际传媒� and NDP candidate Justin Kulik sa国际传媒� who called his position sa国际传媒渟hameful.sa国际传媒�

Kulik, however, turned his aim instead to the Liberal candidates, calling the current temporary foreign workers program sa国际传媒渂roken.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淎n NDP government would make sure that immigration policies and levels meet Canadasa国际传媒檚 labour force needs and to recognize peoplesa国际传媒檚 experience, contribution and ties to Canada,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檒l work with the provinces to address gaps in settlement services and to improve foreign credentials recognition.

sa国际传媒淲hat wesa国际传媒檙e proposing, is allowing these people that are coming to Canada to work a pathway to becoming Canadian citizens. We want to be able to offer them permanent residency. We want them to be able to call Canada home if they so choose,sa国际传媒� he said.

Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr (Kelowna-Lake Country) said the current program has helped Canada grow its workforce.

sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 have enough skilled (workers); we donsa国际传媒檛 have enough unskilled workers,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e need to get people here because it helps them, it helps us, and itsa国际传媒檚 mutually beneficial for everyone.sa国际传媒�

Conservative candidate Dan Albas (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) said his party would look to expand and improve integration services such as language training as well as an simpler immigration process.

sa国际传媒淭here are too many people that are waiting for their spouse and for their family members because of the long wait that happens,sa国际传媒� Albas said.

sa国际传媒淧art of it is by design, to make sure that everything goes ahead first, but part of is also is that there are a lot of challenges in the system. The system, currently, right now is overrun.sa国际传媒�

The Green Partysa国际传媒檚 Robert Mellalieu (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) said the temporary foreign worker program needs to be abolished and replaced with a path to citizenship.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e bringing in temporary foreign workers because we donsa国际传媒檛 feel like paying fruit pickers the proper wages and giving them the proper conditions,sa国际传媒� Mellalieu said. sa国际传媒淎nd they say we cansa国际传媒檛 find workers. Yeah, we cansa国际传媒檛 find workers that will work at that wage.sa国际传媒�

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michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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