Could Michael Ignatieff be on to something when it comes to Jason Kenney’s “balanced “ refugee reform?

Most of us have seen a few blogs, tweets etc. about the recent changes to the Live-in caregiver program. Most mainstream media outlets ignored it, not too interesting of a story.

Everybody knows the CPC are pandering for the ethnic votes, with Jason Kenney being the ringleader. Then I came across this website, www.liveincaregiverprogram.net.

Apparently, an employer’s group, unknown exactly where, isn’t too pleased with Jason Kenney right now. Kudos for doing up a website to “Educate Jason Kenney”, although it didn’t really make too much sense to me.

Now, I don’t have kids so I called my friend Barb, your typical multi tasking, kids activity driving mother, career women, wife etc who I met many years ago at a conference. I remember she had some nanny trouble back then. I called her and asked if she knew anything about the recent changes to the Live-in caregiver program. Oh boy, she started up like a typhoon telling me right off the bat that her and her hubby considered voting for the Conservatives but definitely won’t now.

So I asked her what the problem was. Well, it seems that Jason Kenney, hardworking Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism implemented new changes or “significant improvements” as he calls them on April 1, 2010.

Basically , the issues seem to be that, according to that website and my friend Barb, when somebody, whether a family who needs childcare or even an elderly person needing care, decides to hire an overseas nanny, the family now has to pay for all recruitment costs, airfare , medical and workers compensation.

Well, I said to Barb, to be honest that seemed perfectly logical to me. I mean most of the overseas caregivers are Filipinos, why would a nanny from a third world country pay for all of this and not you the rich Canadian family. Barb almost bit my head off!!

Remember when I met her and she had nanny troubles. Well, as it turned out, Barb had sponsored a nanny from Singapore through an agency in Toronto. Barb and her family waited 7 months for her and when she arrived, she quit after two weeks and went to live with her sister in Winnipeg.

Not only was Barb left with no childcare but she also had paid for part of the recruitment fee and the nannies temporary medical, which came to about $350, plus the $1000 fee.

Ah, I was starting to see the picture. If Barb had paid the airfare, all recruitment costs, and medical back then, she would have been royally screwed by this nanny. She wouldn’t even be able to take her to small claims court as once the nanny leaves the employer usually loses contact. It is not like Canada Immigration will give the family her whereabouts.

I was starting to understand why that website called themselves “Balanced and Fairness for Canadian Families in Need to hire an overseas live in caregiver”

I also spoke to couple of employment agencies; they are furious at Jason Kenney and feel that his only motive is to shut down the Live-in caregiver program. As one agency said, there is no way Jason Kenney or his department couldn’t have predicted this outcome. Apparently, most agencies for caregivers have seen a dramatic drop of placements since April 1, 2010 some as much between 70 – 90%.

Canadian employers are scared to hire for the reasons mentioned. One agency said the Filipino Advocacy groups are to be blamed; they are the ones who got pretty cozy with Kenney and pushed through these changes. Kenney had a ton of consultations with caregiver groups and was basically brainwashed by them.

She emailed my a few YouTube video’s of a celebration in Toronto in March 2010. OMG!!

Jason Kenney being celebrated like a “God”, these videos are almost too comical to watch.

A senior Minister in a room full of Filipipino nannies with only one goal!

Vote for us!

I also called a few of the advocacy groups in Toronto, they didn’t want to speak to me at first but admitted that they feel that have been “duped” by Jason Kenney and led to believe these changes would be of great benefit to the caregivers. It has had the reverse effect, with overseas caregivers not being hired!

OK, this is getting to be a top notch Government intrigue.

Jason Kenney resigns and throws his career away over Nannygate!

I can literally see the headlines in the Toronto Star.

Jason Kenney who some say is Canada’s second most powerful politician went ahead and came up with some totally unbalanced “ improvements” to do what ?

I am confused. Does he really want to shut down the Live-in caregiver program? One agency admitted that there are definitely “unscrupulous “agencies out here. Is he trying to get rid of caregiver agencies? But then how would Canadian Families hire their overseas caregivers?

Is the Government aiming for families to hire privately? It doesn’t make sense, especially as that person is somebody you have never met, who is going to work in your home to watch your most precious possessions. You would want to go through a reputable source!

Another agency mentioned that the caregivers should have to make some sort of investment; it is very common for caregivers to use the employer to get to Canadian and then change employers. Exactly what happened to my friend Barb.

If I had children, I would think twice before paying several thousand of dollars for fees, airfare etc. if there is no protection in place. It seems like that hiring a nanny is becoming highly improbable and perhaps only available for higher earning families who may not care if they lose several thousands of dollars. Basically LCP has become unattainable to working families.

What about the Baby boomers, this is going a huge issue for the Canadian Government?

We need caregivers to deal with our rapidly aging population? Why would Jason Kenney want to make such idiotic changes?

I assume an elderly vulnerable person is also not going to pay a truckload of money for somebody they have never met without some sort of protection.

So who wins here with these “significant improvements”; improvements for whom?

If foreign caregivers aren’t being hired because Canadian employers are too scared to hire them and employment agencies are close to shutting down then how can Jason Kenney call these changes balanced improvements?

I can suddenly see why the Liberals have raised doubts over Jason Kenney’s “Balanced” new refuge reform. Maybe the Liberals are smarter than we think! Could Michael Ignatieff be on to something?

This website www.liveincaregiverprogram.net was starting to make total sense to me.