NDP promises to beef up resources for new Manitobans

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This article was published 25/03/2016 (3488 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The NDP are promising to make life easier for newcomer families if re-elected.

NDP leader Greg Selinger announced a slew of promises on Good Friday, including restoring the family reunification stream to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

“It’s something we’ve heard a lot of from people in the community,” Selinger said.

The family reunification stream was slashed in 2012 when the Conservatives cancelled its shared settlement services agreement with the provinces. Selinger said he believes it is time to bring it back.

Selinger said the federal government is ultimately the gatekeeper when it comes to immigration in the province but said he’s confident they’ll be able to negotiate with the Liberals.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum announced earlier this month a plan to reunite families. Canada could see over 300,000 newcomers in 2016.

“We think it will make a big difference in making sure families can live together,” he said. “It allows everyone to do a better job at looking after each other.”

The program helps families like Marilou Sernadilla’s. She came to Winnipeg in 2006 along with her husband and three kids. Since then, her in-laws and sister-in-law have made the move and she sees the obvious benefit of bringing it back into the fold.

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“This provincial nominee program is amazing, and it’s a chance to get our loved ones here in Winnipeg,” she said.

Sernadilla received a grant of her own, allowing her to take university courses for a year. She now teaches English at the Faith Learning Centre through Union Gospel Mission.

The NDP announced a $750,000 investment in language training for newcomers who have timed out of the federal program.

Selinger also pledged to keep in place $3.5 million in funding to help new refugee families settle in the province, including Syrian refugees.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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