Western counterparts support Selinger on immigration

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This article was published 30/05/2012 (5100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Greg Selinger got some support from his western counterparts this week as his government fights to retain control over the management of immigrant settlement services.

Western premiers and territorial leaders agreed Tuesday on several key points that Manitoba has been making with Ottawa on immigration in recent weeks.

In a communique at the conclusion of their meeting in Edmonton, the leaders called for an increase in immigration levels and demanded a greater role for provinces and territories in immigrant selection.

The western leaders also sought assurances that they be given a prominent role in managing successful, integrated settlement services.

Premier Selinger, whose government has been battling Ottawa on the issue, was pleased with the consensus on a key issue to Manitoba.

“We thought that having non-partisan support from all the premiers in Western Canada on that was pretty positive,” he said in an interview.

Manitoba has locked horns recently with the federal government over Ottawa’s planned takeover of immigration settlement services. The services are mostly paid for by Ottawa but for more than a decade have been administered by the province.

The province argues its role in running settlement services is crucial to the success of its Provincial Nominee Program, which allows it to nominate immigrants whose skills match provincial needs and is one of the reasons for the increase in the number of newcomers to Manitoba in recent years.

At their meeting in Alberta, the western and territorial leaders also agreed that Ottawa should allow for “meaningful increases” in the number of immigrants entering the country under provincial and territorial nominee programs.

Meanwhile, Selinger said he was also pleased at the growing support for an east-west power grid, a proposal that Manitoba has been touting for more than a decade because of its potential to boost the province’s power exports.

Manitoba has had talks for some time with Saskatchewan about enhancing Hydro transmission links between the two provinces. Alberta is also showing “some real interest” in an east-west grid as well, Selinger said. “I think the idea is gaining more currency again,” he added.

The western premiers and territorial leaders also discussed infrastructure funding, environmental issues, employee training and mobility and other issues at their one-day meeting.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca