Juno News - November 20, 2025Liberals don’t track immigrant doctors finding jobs
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Summary
Despite boasting about attracting immigrant doctors, Liberal ministers have admitted they do not track how many of these individuals actually become practicing doctors after arriving in Canada. There are now 30 former and current riding association board members in the B.C. Conservative Party calling for their leader to resign, but he refuses to budge. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she s just days away from getting clarity on Prime Minister Mark Carney s future policies around her province, including getting a pipeline.
Transcript
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Despite boasting about attracting immigrant doctors, liberal ministers have admitted they
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do not track how many of these individuals actually become practicing physicians after
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arriving in Canada. There are now 30 former and current Riding Association board members in the
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B.C. Conservative Party calling for their leader John Rustad to resign, but Rustad refuses to budge.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's just days away from getting, quote, clarity on Prime
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Minister Mark Carney's future policies around her province, including getting a pipeline.
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Hello, Canada. It's Thursday, November 20th, and this is the True North Daily Brief. I'm
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Cosmin Georgia. And I'm Jeff Knight. We've got you covered with all the news you need to know.
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Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear anywhere else.
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Both the Liberal Immigration Minister and the Health Minister admit that they don't track how many
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medically trained doctors the Liberals bring into the country actually become doctors, despite
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lauding their own program for bringing healthcare professionals into Canada. During a House of
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Commons Health Committee meeting on Tuesday, Conservative health critic Dan Mazier, grilled
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Minister of Immigration Lena Diab and Minister of Health Marjorie Michel on the issue, but neither
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provided an answer. Mazier asked the two how many of the 674 immigrant doctors at Diab's department
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approved through the Federal Skilled Workers Express Entry Program have become licensed practicing
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doctors in Canada. Both Diab and Michel said they didn't know.
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Minister Diab, does the Immigration Department track how many immigrant doctors become licensed
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No, I don't believe that is an IRCC function. Again, it's the licensing bodies as well as the
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hospitals that are employing them or the medical institutions.
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So, does the Immigration Department know how many doctors are driving taxis instead of working
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Let me give you a fulsome answer. Monsieur Yatso-Yang, please.
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Just answer the question. Do they know how many?
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Despite this, Diab said in her opening remarks that immigration plays a, quote, vital role in bringing
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skilled professionals into the healthcare system and, quote, strengthening care for Canadians. When asked
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whether the immigration minister considers Canada's healthcare capacity when setting immigration targets,
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Diab said her department works with provincial and territorial governments, quote, with respect to
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that, she said, quote, everything is considered before the federal government sets immigration targets.
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When asked about the department's analysis of sustainable levels of immigration for Canada's healthcare
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system, Diab laughed and said it wasn't a, quote, fair question for immigration.
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How many more patients can our healthcare system handle this year, according to your department's analysis?
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Oh, that's not a fair question for immigration.
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Jeff, you would expect that the immigration minister would have a good grasp on how their decisions are
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impacting Canada's healthcare system, which admittedly is under a lot of stress right now.
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I think everybody realizes that or has some first person experience if they've been to the emergency
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room or have had to deal with delayed appointments or long wait times for specialized treatments.
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But what is the government's justification for not tracking this?
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Because Diab seems to laugh off the idea of analyzing sustainable levels of immigration when it comes to
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Well, to start, once someone's approved as a permanent resident through federal programs like Express Entry,
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they get the same rights as any other resident, and it's up to provincial health colleges and regulators
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Immigration Minister Lina Diab basically said it's not their job to follow up or analyze outcomes.
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It's a hands-off approach after the visa stamp, even though they tout the program as a big win
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Over 13,000 internationally trained physicians are stuck in Canada, unable to work because of
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red tape and credential barriers, while 6.5 million Canadians, like one in five Canadians,
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And this is all according to the Canada Health Association and experts like Dr. Therese Bichet
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from Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada.
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And that's on top of shortages, like 23,000 general practitioners and 60,000 registered
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Groups like the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, College of Family Physicians,
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and Canadian Anesthesiologists Society have testified that the feds never consulted them
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on how high immigration targets, 395,000 permanent residents and 673,000 non-permanent ones this
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year alone, are slamming the healthcare system, leaving no room to absorb all these pros.
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A new Leaky Bucket 2025 report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship found 35% of immigrant
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healthcare workers bail within five years, often heading to places like the U.S. or the
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U.K. where licensing is smoother, thanks to our endless barriers and training limits.
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A growing grassroots revolt inside the Conservative Party of British Columbia has now expanded to
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30 former and current Riding Association board members and other officials who are publicly
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calling on the party caucus to trigger a leadership change.
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In a letter dated November 18th and circulated to caucus and constituency offices, Corey Brooks,
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president of the party's Burnaby North Riding Association, says 15 additional board members
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from across B.C. have added their names to an open letter released November 7th by directors
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The original letter urged caucus to, quote, act with courage and conviction to begin the process
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Brooks says the latest signatories, who include elected board members from regions such as
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Saanich South, Surrey Panorama, Peace River North, Pennington Summerland, and Nanaimo Lanceville,
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Brooks writes that the mounting number of signatories represents, quote,
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province-wide concern among grassroots organizers, whom he describes as the people who, quote,
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knock doors, raise money, and organize the vote.
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The letter states, quote, the message is unambiguous.
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Continuing with the current leadership makes winning an election virtually impossible.
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Brooks argues caucus has both the authority and a, quote, moral imperative to act,
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saying party leaders in the legislature, quote, serve at the pleasure of caucus.
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The letter concludes by urging MLAs to initiate, quote, leadership renewal immediately.
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So, Cosmin, how is Rustad reacting to this added level of pressure he's facing,
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Yeah, just from watching the past few weeks and months, Rustad has a habit of just doubling down.
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And it's quite remarkable how much the B.C. conservative leader has decided to bunker up,
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because if it were any other province or provincial conservative party at this point,
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Even just Tuesday night, the B.C. conservative caucus held its caucus meeting,
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and that ran, actually, I think, until around 11 at night.
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So they went in around 7 p.m. Pacific time, and they came out around 11.
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And from reports, it seems that things really blew up, and certain MLAs spoke their mind about
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He hasn't even commented on that caucus meeting, as far as I know.
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His own MLAs, who remain loyal to him, have thwarted attempts to hold a secret ballot on Rustad's leadership,
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which would give some clarity on where all the MLAs stand, but that hasn't happened.
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So he's coming under serious pressure from his own MLAs on top of party members, grassroots party members,
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who aren't happy with his leadership, aren't happy with where the party is at right now,
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both in terms of fundraising, in terms of how they're doing in the polls,
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and in terms of how Rustad has responded to this criticism, it tends to lean towards accusations.
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So in the past, he's went on CBC, and he has essentially accused his own MLAs of not believing in democracy.
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Those MLAs that want to see him gone apparently don't believe in democracy, if you were to believe John Rustad.
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But at the same time, he's blocking the caucus, his own caucus, from actually holding a vote on his leadership,
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So he's lecturing people about democracy on the one hand, saying his opponents are anti-democratic,
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while denying them the very process that would let them exercise their own democratic will.
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And this is just boiling over in terms of frustration for the party's grassroots, too.
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As you pointed out, these board members and organizers are watching all this happen,
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And they're resorting to letters and signing on their names to these initiatives,
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Now, that's up to caucus to initiate any further pressure, which is being thwarted,
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or at least there isn't enough organized effort from the caucus side to really push that issue,
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But the message from the ground in the party seems to be clear.
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If Rustad doesn't allow a democratic process and for a new leader to be selected,
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they're saying it's hard to see how the party can move forward or be competitive in the next election.
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Ottawa and Alberta are on the verge of sealing a major energy deal that could finally pave the way
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for a crucial oil pipeline to British Columbia's northwest coast, according to a Globe and Mail report.
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The memorandum of understanding would represent the most significant federal-provincial breakthrough
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on market access in years, and federal officials are optimistic an announcement could come within days.
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The Globe reports that the framework includes a new pipeline route to the B.C. coast,
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possible exemptions to the region's tanker ban, adjustments to industrial carbon pricing
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to accelerate carbon capture development, and changes to the federal emission cap.
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Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia and senior federal officials are reportedly guiding the negotiations.
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Speaking at a press conference at the Alberta legislature on Monday, Premier Danielle Smith responded to questions
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about Prime Minister Mark Carney missing her previously set deadline of eliminating the, quote,
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nine bad laws and putting a pipeline on the major projects list.
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We are working on an MOU that deals with, comprehensively, the issue of getting more bitumen to Asian markets,
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the Pathways Project, and our joint support of that, as well as the nine bad laws that are impairing our investment climate.
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The Globe reports the envisioned pipeline would require private sector proponent environmental approvals and support from coastal First Nations.
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It remains unclear whether the British Columbia government would need to formally approve the MOU.
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On Monday, Smith said she expected clarity, quote,
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In a matter of days, aligning with the timeline described to the Globe and Mail by federal insiders.
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It was sort of a surprise that Carney is at least trying to reach some sort of agreement,
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which may or may not include a tangible route to a pipeline.
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But how did other politicians react, including from within the Liberal Party and outside, like David Eby and the conservative leader?
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Well, Cosmin, Pierre Polyev has been all in on pushing for the West Coast Pipeline,
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calling it a litmus test for Mark Carney's Liberals,
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and blasting the Feds for blocking it with red tape like the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and Impact Assessment Act.
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He said it's time to get out of the way and repeal the nine bad laws holding back energy projects,
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arguing the pipeline could be built without government cash if Ottawa just clears the path.
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Trillions in international investment are waiting, he claims,
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and is the only thing standing between Canada and billions in exports to Asia.
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On the flip side, BC Premier David Eby has been straight-up dismissive,
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repeatedly calling the whole thing fictional and a pipe dream,
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with no real proponent, investor, or route yet,
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and warning that it had cost tens of billions while risking BC's coastal economy and great bear rainforest.
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He's doubled down that lifting the tanker ban is a non-starter,
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foundational to First Nations and the province,
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and accused Smith of wedge politics that threatens other projects,
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insisting BC isn't blocking anything because there's nothing to block.
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