Did you know...? - Edition 114

February 17, 2012

Did You Know That… The House of Commons passed the Ending the Long Gun Registry Act and sent it to the Senate in a 159-130 vote. Our Government received a strong mandate to end the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry once and for all, and that is exactly what we are doing. This vote marks a leap forward towards fulfilling our promise to scrap the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry.  We are delighted to be closer than ever to doing away with a $2 billion boondoggle that criminalizes law-abiding Canadians.  For more information: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2012/nr20120215-eng.aspx?rss=true

Did You Know That… Following the Beyond the Border announcement made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Obama in December, Minister of Transport, Denis Lebel, announced that it will be easier for Canadian air travellers at Canada’s eight largest airports (Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver) to travel to the U.S. with newly opened NEXUS lanes. The Government is focused on creating jobs and economic growth, and good news for consumers is good news for our economy. Canadians will be able to use their NEXUS cards to expedite screening at airports when travelling to the U.S.  Just as we use NEXUS passes at our borders to enter the U.S. via automobile, the same option is now available at our airports.  Border initiatives, like the one being implemented tomorrow, create jobs and growth in Canada by improving the traffic flow between our two countries.  For more information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2012-h010e-6638.htm

Did You Know That… The Government introduced the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act. Canada has the most fair and generous immigration system in the world; however, Canadians have no tolerance for those who abuse our generosity and who take unfair advantage of our country.  Our government is committed to strengthening the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act is the latest step taken by our government to ensure that our immigration system is no longer being abused by foreign criminals, bogus refugee claimants and human smugglers. This Act will make Canada's refugee system faster and fairer. It will put a stop to foreign criminals, human smugglers and bogus refugees abusing Canada's generous immigration system and receiving lucrative taxpayer-funded health and social benefits.  At the same time, this bill will provide protection more quickly to those who are truly in need.  Canadians have given us a strong mandate to protect Canada's immigration system. We are acting on that mandate. For more information: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-02-16.asp