The Progressive Conservatives called on Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino to resign Thursday, accusing her of threatening protesters desperate to stay in Canada.
“We have heard credible and troubling fears from the international community, who have requested that we protect their identity to save them from retribution,” said interim Tory leader Wayne Ewasko, who led the party’s assault during question period.
PC immigration critic Jodie Byram (Agassiz) tabled a heavily redacted letter she received Wednesday accusing Marcelino of suspending some Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program draws for both skilled workers and the international education stream “due to protests.”
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
NDP Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino.
The program conducts regular monthly draws to invite candidates in several different categories, who entered Canada on temporary work permits or to attend post-secondary institutions, to submit full applications for permanent residence status.
Many are watching the clock, as time ticks away on expiring work permits and student visas. There have been two previous protests outside the legislature to alert the government to the urgency being felt by many in the international community.
The tabled letter said there have been warnings about continued protests that would result in a four-month suspension of draws, and that owing to previous demonstrations, the minister has “continuously suspended draws.”
“Freedom of assembly is a fundamental charter right,” Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet) told the house. “Violating that right is an absolute abuse of power.”
Interim Liberal leader Cindy Lamoureux said she’s received “very similar correspondence from others saying the draws would be jeopardized if they continued to do protests outside the Manitoba legislature.”
An email this week alleged there was a directive from Marcelino containing the threat, Lamoureux (Tyndall Park) said.
Marcelino told the house she has nothing to do with when the provincial nominee program draws are held, and no access to individual files or identifiers.
“That would be interference,” she said.
Outside the chamber, she denied the allegations, telling reporters they are “completely false.”
She blamed the delays on a “huge backlog” of applications due, in part, to cuts made by the previous Tory administration, along with last year’s announcement by the federal government that it would no longer grant 18-month work permit extensions to foreign nationals.
Marcelino (Notre Dame) said she’s asked Ottawa to grant a three-year work-permit extension so candidates can stay while the backlog of 6,700 applications can be processed.
“It’s getting to be a desperate situation for many of these people,” Marcelino said. “Their federal work permits are expiring in 2024 and they don’t know what to do.”
She said she’s met with protesters and has heard from employers and the business community about the impact of the uncertainty.
Marcelino said she’s meeting with the federal immigration minister and provincial counterparts May 10 and hopes to have a decision on the work-permit extension request.
Marcelino said she supports demonstrators’ right to protest.
“I’ve been on the other side of protests,” she said. “This is people’s democratic right.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.