The outgoing regime faced its ouster due to a number of unpleasant reasons
including dictatorial attitude of Mr.
Steven Harper, his anti-Muslim fear
mongering, negative attack-adds, passing laws controversially, unfavourable foreign
policy and mismanagement are only a few among others. As the strategic voting
was the answer, propaganda machinery did enough for opinion-building to achieve
the desired results in recent federal elections. Obviously, the people were upset
with the sitting government; they wanted a positive change. The moments were
ripe for the vested interests to exploit the situation for their own purpose,
so the target was achieved democratically. A landslide victory for the Liberals
means good news for positive change. Hopefully, our new leader will go for
unity rather than division.
On November 4, the Liberals will be returning to the
House of Commons with a majority government. They have a long list of promises
and priorities based on their 88-page plan. Intention is to boost up support
for post-secondary students, improve the environment and decrease the tax
burden for middle-class families. The Canada child benefit is replacing
the universal child care benefit. The Liberal promise would provide
a yearly tax free benefit of up to $6,400 for every child of up to 5 years of
age and up to $5,400 for each child age 6 to 17.
How much
a family would receive under the Liberal plan would depend on income, with the
monthly payments declining as family income rises. Poor family will benefit from
this non taxable program.
Other priorities: The
Liberal platform has some immediate steps to be taken upon forming government;
they include calling an inquiry into the missing and the murdered indigenous
women, lifting the 2 percent cap on increases to “First Nations-education-funding”
and establishing a new financial relationship with First Nations. They also
include launching a new competition to replace the CF-18 fighter jet and scraping
the F-35 fighter program. Hiring of additional mental health professionals to
support veterans is part of priority. Reinstating the long-form census and implementing
imported gun-marking legislation will be carried out.
Review of
environmental assessment processes will begin. Number of immigration
applications allowed for parents and grand-parents will be doubled. Visa
requirement for Mexican travel to Canada will be lifted.
Spousal sponsorship is to be made
easier: Cunningly, the outgoing prime minister Mr. Harper kept himself away from
the Muslim world in general and Pakistan in particular. With regard to family
sponsorship matters, cases were delayed for long time to a point where either
the marriage came to an end, or one spouse had to leave Canada for residing
with the other spouse in Pakistan.
Rejecting
fake marriage case is appreciable, yet it amounts to gross negligence and
inefficiency if a visa officer has difficulty accepting a genuine marriage
despite the available solid proof (consummated marriage) with birth of a baby
to the wedlock supported by official documents including Marriage certificate.
New
government is introducing a faster track: From now onward, spouses immigrating
to Canada shall get immediate permanent residency.
There
will be surely expeditious disposal of spousal cases without wait-time, and the
rejected cases may be reviewed on faster track hopefully.
Beauty of Diversity: According to local news media 22 out of 44 South Asians made their way to the House of Commons
including two Pakistanis born Canadians. Congratulations to 15 Indians who have
been elected as MPs.
Congratulations to 10 Muslims who became
MPs; the number is great for the first time in the history of Canada. They include: Somali Canadian MP Ahmed
Hussen, Canada's first Iranian Canadian MP Majid
Jowhari, and Canada's first Afghan Canadian MP Maryam
Monsef. The majority of Muslim Canadians who
will be coming to Parliament are newcomers to politics with the exception of Omar
Alghabra and Yasmin Ratansi who were previously
Liberal MPs. Pakistani Canadian Iqra
Khalid, MP for Mississauga-Erin Mills: Iqra Khalid’s Website Salma Zahid, MP for
Scarborough Centre: Zahid's Website
Thought
provoking: Pakistani
Canadians are almost unrepresented in Parliament: They include Pakistani landed
immigrants, naturalised Canadians of Pakistani origin and Canadians born to
parents of Pakistani origin.
Unfortunately, Mr. Tariq Azeem, High
Commissioner of Pakistan was asked about the number of Pakistanis in Canada - he
could not answer reliably; conveniently he quoted the figure of 155,310 based
on 2011 census. The Commission ignores updating its record of total number of
Pakistanis residing in Canada for unknown reasons.
“The Canadian Magazine of
Immigration” posted on 02/02/2015 as below:
In 2011, the vast majority of Pakistani immigrants (73%) resided in
Ontario; most of them (97,065) lived in the Greater Toronto Area. In 2011, 12% of Pakistani immigrants resided
in Alberta, 6% in Quebec and 5% in British Columbia. Though, it’s disappointing
to note that the actual number of Pakistanis is not available, yet it’s
estimated from various sources to be around 300,000.
Irony
is Pakistanis, compared with other South Asians, still lag behind when it comes
to have direct voice in the parliament. Painfully, there is
no noticeable representation in the parliament of Canadians of Pakistani
origin: How would only 2 women in 338 Member-Parliament be able to voice
Pakistani community’s concerns? This suggests there is a long way to go yet
before the Pakistani community has reasonable presence in the parliament. Even
the Senate has only one Pakistani lady.
Controversial Legislation: The
biased and discriminatory laws (C51
and C24) are expected to be amended or repealed.
Furthermore,
as per BBC and other news channels, Trudeau believes in ending airstrike over
Iraq, having closer ties with Obama and accepting 25000 refugees from the
troubled Syria.
Trudeau looks
persuaded to honor Mr. Chretien’s advice to go for better relations with Iran
and Russia, and work with the UN for revival of Canada’s peace keeping role.
All sounds good!
It’s a
golden chance for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef to invite Prime
Minister-elect Mr. Justin Trudeau to have a State visit in order to refresh
mutual relationship to generate trade and investment opportunities.
Sources:
www.marketwatch.com/story/canadian-assets-may-benefit-from-liberal-partys-fiscal-stimulus-2015-10-20
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