Houston government sending mixed signals on immigration

The Houston government was sending mixed messages on Friday about Nova Scotia's willingness to help the federal government deal with the large number of asylum seekers in Quebec and Ontario.

Premier Tim Houston was unequivocal in his response to Ottawa's call for help to relieve the pressure on Canada's biggest provinces.

"We have big needs in our health-care system. We know we have housing issues as well," Houston told reporters at an unrelated announcement in Sydney, N.S.

"For the federal government to think that they can just send that many people here, it's not appropriate, it's not fair."

A day earlier, the premier said his government's focus was on targeted immigration that prioritizes health-care workers and skilled tradespeople.

"We'd hope the federal government would respect that," he said Thursday. "Our capacity to accept asylum seekers is just not there."

Nova Scotia's share of the load could be as high as 6,131 asylum seekers, according to federal documents supplied by the premier's office.

An official in the office of federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the figure was not a target, but a starting point for the discussion between Ottawa and Nova Scotia.

In contrast to her boss's hard line, Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Jill Balser offered a more conciliatory message Friday.

Support needed for asylum seekers

Balser said the province would need to consider its "ability to be able to support that increase."

"It has to come with resources, it has to come with support, because we want to continue to be a welcoming province to support anyone who's coming to Nova Scotia, whether it was by choice or not," she told reporters.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender called the discussion "a dangerous rhetorical game."

'A great hypocrisy'

"When we talk about limiting the ability of asylum seekers to settle in Nova Scotia, it may be directed as a criticism at the federal government, it may be directed as criticism of government, [but] it lives as xenophobia and racism on the ground," said Chender.

"There's no place for that. That's not who we are as Nova Scotians."

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill called Houston's message "a great hypocrisy" given his government's stated goal of doubling the province's population by 2060.

"He's saying that if people are coming here because they're fleeing war, persecution, that they are not welcome," said Churchill. "He's assuming that asylum seekers don't have skills that we can use here."

Slowing immigration

In recent weeks, Churchill has repeatedly attacked the PC government's immigration target and publicly called on Houston to pause the plan because of a lack of housing, overcrowded schools and an overburdened health system.

Churchill told reporters on Friday that slowing down immigration didn't mean slamming the door shut on asylum seekers.

"That doesn't mean we can't be there for people that need our help, that are fleeing persecution … escaping war and conflict."