Ottawa, ON – Today, Dan Mazier, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health and the Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, released the following statement in response to the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer’s (PBO) report on the projected costs of the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP):
“Following a Conservative-led investigation at the Health Committee into the Interim Federal Health Program, the PBO revealed the program will cost Canadians over $1.5 billion annually within the next 5 years.
“Rejected asylum claimants are now receiving better healthcare than many Canadians who have paid into a system their entire life. Supplemental health benefits like vision care, physiotherapy, home care and speech therapy are covered after the Liberals expanded the program.
“At the Health Committee, doctors testified that under the IFHP, healthcare providers are charging up to five times the provincial rates. This raises serious concerns about the program being financially exploited with little oversight or accountability.
“At a time when 6 million Canadians cannot find a family doctor and are waiting for care, it’s unacceptable that bogus asylum seekers are receiving better health benefits than Canadians. This is just another example of what happens when the Liberals fail to consider healthcare capacity in their immigration policies.
“The skyrocketing IFHP costs are a direct result of a Liberal government that has lost control of Canada’s once-prized immigration system. The PBO is clear that an increase in asylum seekers and processing delays is driving these costs.
“Every additional day that a rejected or bogus asylum seeker sits in the system results in a higher cost to Canada’s healthcare system.
“Conservatives have already proposed solutions to address the PBO’s damning report, including removing federal benefits from ineligible claimants, except for emergency healthcare.
“Canadians know the truth: the Liberals are still bringing in too many people, too fast, with no consideration for the costs it imposes on Canadians. People who are supposed to leave aren’t.
“Conservatives will make sure that there are enough jobs, houses, and healthcare before bringing in new immigrants and restore compassion and fairness to Canada’s broken and abused asylum system.”