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NDP leader Jack Layton speaks with the media during a round table discussion in Brampton, Ontario on Saturday. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)
New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton pledged improvements to Canada's immigration services during a media round table in Brampton on Saturday.
The most prominent issue of the discussion was rural mail-boxes, which attendees described as an inconvenience and danger to the elderly. But broader issues included pensions for immigrants who did not have coverage from the country of origin, the NDP's support for democracy in Pakistan, and re-uniting families split apart when one or more members emigrate to Canada.
Layton said it was "far too difficult" for families to re-unite in Canada because of "narrow definitions" of family in immigration policies.
He mentioned a "once in a life time" bill the NDP had introduced to make it easier for aunts, uncles and other extended family to also immigrate. Layton also promised to raise the number of immigration staff so applications could be processed more quickly.
Emphasizing his party's support for working families, Layton promised to cut tax breaks for large corporations and pass them onto the small and medium sized businesses that create jobs in Canada.
Layton also plugged his party's cap and trade environmental policy which he said focused on the large companies and won't hurt "working families" the way he alleged the Liberal's Green Shift would.
"We think the big polluters should pay for their pollution and that money should go back to the solutions"
He also promised to stop any future developments in the Albertan tar sands.
