Québec condamne la milice d’extrême droite III%

2017/09/13 Leave a comment

Small numbers but worrisome tendency:

Le gouvernement du Québec condamne vigoureusement l’apparition de la milice armée d’extrême droite III%. «C’est vraiment une image du Québec qui ne reflète pas le Québec», croit Kathleen Weil, ministre de l’Immigration, de la diversité et de l’inclusion.

La ministre Weil s’est inquiétée lundi de la création de cette milice, dont l’existence a été révélée par Radio-Canada. «C’est très préoccupant, vraiment très préoccupant. On dirait que tous les jours on entend la création d’un autre organisme», a soutenu la ministre en marge d’une annonce à Québec sur le traitement accéléré des dossiers des travailleurs étrangers.

Sur Facebook, le groupe III% Québec se définit comme un rassemblement de «patriotes», mais se dit toutefois «non-violent».

Selon Radio-Canada, le premier groupe III% a été créé aux États-Unis il y a une dizaine d’années. Des chapitres québécois de ce groupe anti-immigration auraient commencé à apparaître il y a environ un an. Depuis peu, les membres en règle du Québec doivent détenir un permis d’armes à feu. Sur Facebook, ces membres publient des photos de leurs armes ou de leur entraînement de style militaire en forêt.

«On condamne vigoureusement la création de ces organismes et surtout le discours. On ne peut même pas parler de vision, il n’y a pas de vision-là» a commenté Mme Weil. La ministre assure que la Sûreté du Québec est au courant de l’existence du groupe et «fait un suivi» afin d’éviter «les risques».

Mme Weil déplore la prolifération des différents groupes qui rejettent l’immigration au Québec. «Il y a toujours des éléments un peu différents, mais le message commun, c’est un message d’exclusion et non d’inclusion.»

«Les sociétés gagnantes, c’est des sociétés qui cherchent justement ces talents venus d’ailleurs, parce qu’on pourra pas tout seuls combler nos besoins du marché du travail sans cette diversité. Donc, c’est un contre-message, c’est un message antiéconomique, antisocial, anti-Québec à quelque part, parce que ça vient freiner la croissance du Québec», déplore-t-elle.

À ses côtés lors de l’annonce, le ministre fédéral Jean-Yves Duclos n’a pas commenté directement l’apparition de ce groupe. «On doit être lucides, ouverts aux choses qu’on entend (…) Il y a des signes de haine et d’hostilité qui ont été manifestés au cours des dernières semaines», constate-t-il.

Par contre, M. Duclos demeure persuadé que ces groupes sont loin de refléter la population de la grande région de Québec. «J’ai beaucoup d’espoir qu’on va continuer à faire encore mieux que ce qu’on fait déjà très bien. C’est une région qui accueille, qui intègre qui valorise la diversité et l’inclusion.»

Source: Québec condamne la milice d’extrême droite III% | Patricia Cloutier | Politique

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Quebec preparing major reform to immigration policy

2015/01/27 Leave a comment

Quebec_Unemployment_Rate

National Household Survey 2011

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, with Quebec Minister Weil wanting to appropriate the Canadian model linked more closely to employer needs.

As indicated in the chart above, visible minority unemployment rates are significantly higher than non-visible minorities in Quebec:

Ms. Weil told The Canadian Press she was ready to launch a “big reform” of relations between new immigrants and Quebec society at-large by the end of the year, a process that will include the revision of Quebec’s immigration law.

Everything will be on the table: the number of immigrants welcomed annually, the selection process and favoured countries of origin, the importance of knowing French before arriving, French language courses, the recognition of training undertaken abroad, regionalization, and the sharing of common values.

The minister said she wanted a wide-reaching debate on the issues, and was “very open to everything that will be proposed.”

Fifty stakeholders are expected to participate in public consultation hearings over the next few weeks on the future of immigration to Quebec. The province’s current policy has been in place for 25 years.

A later consultation will also be held on two specific aspects of immigration: the number of immigrants Quebec wants to welcome every year and their countries of origin.

The emphasis, however, will be placed on the economy and balancing between the recruitment of new immigrants and workforce needs. Finding candidates that can fill empty jobs will be key, and on that point, Quebec is being inspired by Ottawa.

Last year, the federal government reformed its selection process for new immigrants. With the focus now primarily on filling jobs, every candidate for immigration to Canada must produce a “declaration of interest” showcasing his or her ability to meet employers’ needs.

Weil said she wanted to appropriate that model. “ What I want to arrive at, is an immigration system based on the Canadian model,” she said.

Quebec preparing major reform to immigration policy – The Globe and Mail.

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Jayson Myers: Building a better foreign workers program | National Post

2014/05/13 Leave a comment

From Jason Myers, CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) on Temporary Foreign Workers and some sensible recommendations (these are not fast food workers) to improve the program, including pathways to residency and implicitly citizenship:

We recommend that a new foreign skilled worker program be introduced, incorporating:

  • an improved national jobs bank that includes employment insurance claimants;

  • a broadly defined classification of skilled workers that’s based on industry needs, rather than on pre-specified qualifications;

  • an “above normal” wage threshold for temporary employment;

  • streamlined and consistently administered application and approval processes;

  • additional flexibility for employers located outside major urban centres, or in regions of rapid economic growth; and

  • improved pathways to residency, in order to give temporary foreign skilled workers better opportunities to become permanent contributors to the Canadian economy.

Jayson Myers: Building a better foreign workers program | National Post.

Meanwhile, Quebec wants an exemption from the federal moratorium.

Interesting that no cases of abuse or concern about Temporary Foreign Workers in food service industries, given Quebec’s overall higher unemployment rate. Quebec had about 44,000 foreign workers in 2012, about 13 percent of the Canadian total (Quebec’s percentage of Canada’s population is almost 24 percent):

“We are a bit worried about the impact of the moratorium on our restaurants and on our small and medium-sized businesses,” he said Sunday.

“We are ready to work with the federal government to tighten the rules of the program if need be.”

Weil is also planning to make the same case to Employment Minister Jason Kenney, who oversees the temporary foreign workers program, McMahon said.

A spokeswoman for Kenney said there are no immediate plans to lift the ban, in Quebec or anywhere else.

“Abuse of the temporary foreign worker program will not be tolerated,” Alexandra Fortier said in an email.

“Allegations of misuse will continue to be investigated and any employer found to have violated the rules will face serious consequences.”

Quebec wants exemption from temporary foreign worker moratorium on restaurants – The Globe and Mail.

Québec réclame la levée du moratoire sur l’embauche de travailleurs étrangers | Le Devoir

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