Quebec Liberals diverting federal immigration funds, QS says
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said on Friday that the Quebec Liberal government “diverted federal funding” destined for immigration integration programs in the province.
Nadeau-Dubois made the claim as he unveiled his party’s plans to better integrate immigrants into Quebec society.
According to QS, the amount of money spent since 2004 by Quebec’s immigration ministry on integration programs is far less than that provided by Ottawa, and Nadeau-Dubois contends that as much as $2 billion was diverted into other government programs.
Nadeau-Dubois told reporters on Friday that “each year, sums disappear” between the column where funding comes in from the federal government and that which details spending by the Quebec government on integration programs.
And the party also contends that more than half of the $2 billion in federal cash was diverted by the Couillard government since it came to power in 2014.
Nadeau-Dubois challenged Couillard, whom he said liked to depict himself as a “champion of immigration,” to explain what happened to the money.
QS, meanwhile, is proposing to quicken the hiring rate of visible minorities in the public service to 13 per cent, matching that demographic’s size in the Quebec population. It also is pledging to do more to recognize professional qualifications acquired outside of Quebec.