The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative met in Ottawa this week for a three-day launch event that brought together 90 participants, including sponsorship groups, international delegates, partners and government officials interested in Canada’s private sponsorship model for refugees.
Operational changes to the spousal sponsorship program
Making science-based nutrition information easier to understand is one way to empower Canadians to make healthier food choices. Today, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, announced amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations to make the Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients on packaged foods easier for Canadians to use and understand.
Family reunification is a key immigration commitment of the Government of Canada. The Parent and Grandparent Program brings together thousands of families each year. For 2017, the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced changes to how sponsorship applications will be submitted under the program.
The Government is committed to a fair and transparent immigration system. Changes made to the Parent and Grandparent Program will improve access to the application process, given that the number of applications accepted for intake is limited.
Medical assistance in dying continues to be a sensitive, complex issue and many Canadians have deeply-held views on the subject. The objective remains to strike the right balance between personal autonomy for those seeking access to medical assistance in dying and protecting the most vulnerable Canadians.
On June 17, 2016, legislation was enacted to allow for safe and consistent access to medical assistance in dying for mentally competent adults who are suffering unbearably, are in an advanced state of irreversible decline, and whose natural deaths have become reasonably foreseeable.
A record number of Canadians have died from drug overdoses this year, including those involving fentanyl. Building on actions taken earlier this year, the Government of Canada is updating its drug strategy to provide for a comprehensive approach that will reduce the harms currently being experienced by individuals and communities.
The Government of Canada is committed to a comprehensive, collaborative, compassionate and evidence-based approach to drug policy, which uses a public health approach when considering and addressing drug issues.
The rapid rise in opioid-related overdose and death, exacerbated by the increased availability of illicit fentanyl across Canada, has highlighted gaps in the Government’s enforcement toolkit.