Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, my question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the Association for Canadian Studies released a survey earlier this week that found one in five of its survey respondents experienced discrimination from an employer or potential employer. Why has the government not followed up on its election promise to create a central agency for assessment and recognition with regard to foreign credentials?
Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government and Secretary of State (Seniors)): Honourable senators, the findings in the report were very alarming and disturbing. The Secretary of State, the Honourable Jason Kenney, has been working very closely with various multicultural communities across the country. With regard to foreign credentials, the government is working on this particular issue. It is a situation that should not be tolerated in this country, when people who have credentials are having such difficulty finding work in their own field.
The government is working on a solution. This was a campaign commitment of the government, but I remind the honourable senator that when we make commitments as a government we make them realizing there is much work to be done in some of these areas, and we have only been in office for less than two years.
Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I thank the leader and her government for continuing to look at ways to empower new Canadians or new immigrants to get jobs. I bring to her notice, so that she can bring it to the attention of her colleagues, that the Foreign Credentials Referral Office that has been established by her government basically refers new immigrants to the provincial bodies and is not effective. I ask the government to set up an effective body as soon as possible so that the new immigrants can get jobs quickly.
Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government and Secretary of State (Seniors)): I thank the honourable senator for her question. Through the Department of Foreign Affairs, we have been working with our various postings abroad to deal with potential immigrants to Canada in their country of origin. We are hopeful that much of the work and advice now being given through our foreign postings will paint a more accurate picture of some of the difficulties immigrants may encounter. At the same time, it will try to deal with the expectations and still encourage potential immigrants to come to Canada. We are working very hard to put in place programs whereby new immigrants can quickly enter a system where their credentials can be brought into line with Canadian requirements.
Honourable senators, this is something that Minister Kenney has been working hard on. This is a matter of interest for him. Since he has been made Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, he has traveled far and wide in this country and he has attended large and small functions. The other day, he commented on the numerous days he has spent around the country attending events as the minister. He is doing a great job. The people in the various communities with which he is working are very happy.
I attended an event in Vancouver in September where members from the Chinese, Korean and Iranian communities were present. When I met with them, I heard about what a great minister and what a great help Jason Kenney has been as they try to navigate their way through the system.