Population Base: Immigration and All-Party Support

population base: The motion proposed that the House immigration committee undertake a study on immigration to Atlantic Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. It would look at population retention and immigration issues such as the challenges associated with an aging and diminishing population base, retention of current residents and the challenges of retaining new immigrants; how to increase immigration to the region; and an analysis of the Atlantic immigration pilot program which will see 2,000 more federal stream immigrants arrive in 2017. Motion M-39 was put forward in September by Alaina Lockhart, New Brunswick Liberal MP for Fundy Royal and passed through the House in November with all-party support. The government has allocated 10 committee meetings to the study with the first on May 29 and two since, with the most recent taking place Thursday. In a press conference in Ottawa Thursday attended by all 32 Liberal Atlantic MPs, Lockhart accused the opposition of obstructing the study at every opportunity. The committee has until November to prepare a report. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.