Bill C-428

YukonJack

Time Out
Dec 26, 2008
7,026
73
48
Winnipeg
"Votes can only happen with a live voter"

Except when dead people are registered by ACORN, ringers vote in their place, protected by machete-wielding Black Panthers.

If it could happen in the United States - how do you think OhBummer won - it could happen in Canada.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,677
161
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Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
Ya so? If you haven't contributed to the system then you can't collect until you have established your commitment. It's pretty simple and fair. Not to mention that all one has to do is have approval-in-principle, to be eligible for health care.

Indeed... if you get the approval, you're covered, yet that approval takes years. The reason why I say it is difficult for some is because during that span of time to "Qualify" you have absolutely no coverage whatsoever. Even travel insurance only covers serious medical needs, like injury or accident.... but average checkups with the doctor, ER visits, prescriptions, etc. etc. are not covered by travel insurance, nor when living in another country, are you covered by your home country's medical coverage.... thus you're completely left on your own.

between $30-75 per doctors appointment... well into the hundreds for any blood work/testing, and even if you are contributing to society, have a SIN # and working at a company that has health insurance and private medical coverage, because you're not considered a perm. resident or citizen, you can't even apply for those coverages either, thus you're still paying out of your pocket any time you need anything medical.

I didn't exactly say it was right or wrong.... just that it is very difficult to live somewhere where you have zero coverage for health care and have a few years to live there before you can even apply for coverage..... since a lot can happen in just one year, let alone three..... let alone 10 years.

Why doesn't your wife qualify? The requirements are already low. Since in Ontario, even a foreign worker with a valid 6 month wok visa is qualified for OHIP. I can't imagine other provinces being much different.

Her situation is a tad unique since although she has over a decade in experience in the dental industry, and while she has a certificate for her experience and such, she does not have a post-secondary diploma/degree to say she can do what she can do, regardless of her years of hand's on experience, good references from employers and the certificate.

Because of this and because she didn't go to college/university (went right into the work field) she could not get a standard Working Visa and thus could only get a Working/Holiday Visa, which only gave her one year of living/working here with a 2 year renewal extension..... thus can only live her for three years and then has to leave.

Even though we are married, she is still not covered by our health care, because she now has to fill out and apply for a Spousal Visa.... which is not only another couple of grand to send out, but for applying to Canada, there is an average 3 year wait time to hear back on approval, which means by the time she hears back, she'd already be sent back to Australia..... which is also why I am moving to Australia with her by the end of the year, because by January, her 3rd year is up and she has no choice but to leave the country, and for me to apply for the same visa for Australia, while it's about the same price as applying to Canada.... I only have a 2-3 month wait, compared to a three year wait.

That and there's just more jobs for her and myself, with better pay, then there is here in Canada, and the living costs are about the same as what we're paying now..... so that pretty well explains the situation in a nut shell. Plus the amount of bureaucratic BS one has to go through here in Canada is far worse then going through Australia.... so we're moving there, double my pay and triple my opportunities, and once we're living together for a year or two, I can then apply for Perm Residency, then Citizenship, then have dual, which by that time, she can apply for Canadian citizenship.

Overall, the amount of crap people have to go through is one big pain in the ass.... and the real problems aren't the people going through all this crap, it's those who skip the whole process and enter the country illegally that are the real problem and real burden... yet it's the legit people who seem to get the brunt of the crap, have to dish out thousands just to get some papers processed and have to deal with all this crap. And of course if you're rejected, you don't get your money back.

In some cases, I would actually support that sentiment. But in this case we're talking about OAS, Old Age Security, not health care. And we need to keep the requirements high. The system is already being taxed quite heavily.

True, but I suppose my very loose point was that while I imagine there's a lot of people just wanting to take advantage of a system, there's plenty who don't and want to follow the rules and guidelines.... it's just that some who are trying to become a citizen not only have the same issues and complications as regular citizens, but some end up having even more, and yet have even little to help support them, thus making it almost impossible to get ahead, therefore becoming even more of a burden to the system when they do get into it. (or if they do)

For me, it's not so much immigrants who I feel are a burden to our systems, it's the refugees (or people who think they are) who come over due to one excuse or another, and pretty much get free access to just about everything while the government tries and process their cases and determines if their claims are legit..... meanwhile legit immigrants actually have to dish out a good chunk of their own money and tend to go through a lot of sacrifices and waiting just to head back on if they're accepted or not.

To me, it just seems a bit of a double standard. The government will let in freeloaders due to some pre-determined sympathy, yet those who actually give them a grand or two of their own money tend to have to jump through hoops of fire for even longer before they hear back on whether they're approved, thus allowed certain levels of coverage.

K, now I'm just ranting and lost my point completely.... moving on :p
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
Indeed... if you get the approval, you're covered, yet that approval takes years.
Really? Last time I checked, which was this morning, all you had to do was prove you had applied, and meet the requirements.

nor when living in another country, are you covered by your home country's medical coverage.... thus you're completely left on your own.
Before I bought my own coverage, I fell out of tree in Florida. My cost was submitted to OHIP and I didn't spend a dime.

I think you should look into her eligibility, because if she's married to you, she meets the requirements under Ontario law. I can't imagine the other provinces are all that much different.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,677
161
63
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
I don't see that as being a problem for those of us who have lived and worked in this country all our lives and contributed to the plan all our working lives. The answer is for immigrants to remain in their own country and get active in affairs so they have these benefits, not to jump ship and spunge at others' expense.

Who says, that's the case in the first place?

I'm heading to Australia not because of their health care, their form of government, or other socialized benefits... nor did I marry my wife to simply get these things. I always had an interest in Australia, the wildlife, their culture, environment, how much of their culture and ways of life are similar to our own..... and towards marrying my wife, we have plenty in common, get along very well, love one another, among many other things.

If you said Refugees, sure I might agree with your "Sponge at other's expense" comment... because they're not really sacrificing a damn thing but expecting to get everything because they're a so-called Refugee.

Most immigrants are skilled workers who wish to contribute to the society, they have many varying interest in the culture/lands/etc.... I just spent the last 10-12 years of my life going through college to do what I enjoyed in life, only to find out there's simply no work here for what I do, and what is here, pays crap..... the only way to advance for me here in this country is to move out west. While the job opportunities are better, the living costs are much higher, thus cancels out any benefit of trying to pack up all my stuff here and spend more money to move out west.

Same with my wife.... she's very skilled and has had no complaints with any of the places she has worked.... she works hard.... but the pay here is crap and the opportunities for work here are very low.... just as they are for me.

So it simply doesn't make sense for either of us to stay here, when there's more jobs & better pay where she's from. She tried living here and it's simply not working out, and as far as I'm concerned, it's not even working out for me.

I'm not wanting to Sponge off of Australia or its people.... I want to take my skills and my talents to their country, and not only have a better opportunity for myself and my wife to live decently and perhaps start a family, but to help contribute to their society and thus become a part of it.

I already spent over a decade trying to put my skills to work here in this country and I already hit the dead end two years ago (before I even hit 30) and don't expect myself to get any further ahead then where I am. I got student loans I have to pay off, I have to get myself a damn car, a home I can call my own, and finally start a family of my own as well..... and as it stands right now.... that isn't happening here in Canada.

Now this is just my personal situation, and every situation is different.... but to just generalize every potential immigrant as a useless sponge to society who's just out to get your money, isn't just inaccurate.... it's kinda offensive to those who actually want to be a part of this nation and genuinely want to contribute to this society.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
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In the bush near Sudbury
Bill C-428 will allow recent immigrants to apply for OAS in 3 years instead of the existing 10.
This bill had first reading in the house on June 18, 2009. It was seconded by Bob Rae!! MP Ms. Ruby Dhalla who introduced the bill represents the riding of Brampton whose population is mainly East Indian. Right now you have to have lived in Canada for 10 years in order to qualify for Old Age Security. She wants the time reduced to 3 years. Thousands could come to Canada when they are 62 years old, never having worked or contributed to this county's tax system etc, and qualify for full Old Age Security benefits. 10 years minimum is reasonable. 3 is not!
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
Bill C-428 will allow recent immigrants to apply for OAS in 3 years instead of the existing 10.
This bill had first reading in the house on June 18, 2009. It was seconded by Bob Rae!! MP Ms. Ruby Dhalla who introduced the bill represents the riding of Brampton whose population is mainly East Indian. Right now you have to have lived in Canada for 10 years in order to qualify for Old Age Security. She wants the time reduced to 3 years. Thousands could come to Canada when they are 62 years old, never having worked or contributed to this county's tax system etc, and qualify for full Old Age Security benefits. 10 years minimum is reasonable. 3 is not!
You know what LW, there's no guarantee that they contribute when they've been here for ten years either. Often the young come, start a life here, bring over Mom and Dad, who then become live in baby sitters. They never actually contribute to the economy.

I would take the present laws one step further and make it ten years of citizenship and working full time, before you can collect OAS, EI or any other service. Including healthcare.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
You know what LW, there's no guarantee that they contribute when they've been here for ten years either. Often the young come, start a life here, bring over Mom and Dad, who then become live in baby sitters. They never actually contribute to the economy.

I would take the present laws one step further and make it ten years of citizenship and working full time, before you can collect OAS, EI or any other service. Including healthcare.

I know at one point it was "must have contributed three years of the last five" - but the resident thing didn't apply to me so I didn't note the qualification - then.

Ontario was giving me school, so I didn't pursue CPP Disability - even when the GP supplied medical end was refused on the say so of an RN. By the time I needed to, it was way too late.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,677
161
63
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
Really? Last time I checked, which was this morning, all you had to do was prove you had applied, and meet the requirements.

Well at this stage, and since we only married this past September, it seems like a waste of more money we don't have, to apply, then get confirmation we have applied, just to get a couple of months of coverage when we're leaving the country anyways.... might as well just try and avoid getting any serious injuries.... been doing alright for almost three years now.

Right now we only have enough money to apply for either Australia or Canada.... since Australia's waiting time is a hell of a lot shorter, and it benefits both of us in more ways then one to go to Australia, we decided to take that route.

Once we get to Oz, we get settled, I get a decent job with a pay twice as much as my current pay (just starting off) I not only will be able to contribute to their own society, start a whole new life in a different part of the world.... but I can also easily pay off my student loans much much faster, and we'd have more then enough money for her to apply for Canadian Citizenship, thus be able to come back and forth a lot easier.

If we stayed here in our present situation, we'd might be able to make it back to see her family once every two-three years..... but since I only get two weeks off for vacation a year where I currently work, we don't have enough time or money to do anything, since it takes about a week to get over the jet lag alone. Meanwhile in Australia you get four weeks vacation each year. (going from memory at the moment, but it's a lot more then what we get here)

Then again, maybe that's the government's plan all along.... keep you poor and border-line destitute so you can't leave.

Before I bought my own coverage, I fell out of tree in Florida. My cost was submitted to OHIP and I didn't spend a dime.

Well my wife's own health coverage in Australia didn't cover anything outside of the country, had to get travel insurance, which didn't cover normal medical expenses, and the one time it did cover her, she still had to pay out of her pocket, then send the information to the insurance and then wait for an entire year before she got some of the money back.

so she didn't see the point in it and never bothered to renew it, if it's not going to help you when you actually need it. Afterall, it doesn't help you much if you gotta pay out of your pocket right then and there, and you don't have the money because you paid into this system that doesn't reimburse you until the end of the year.

I think you should look into her eligibility, because if she's married to you, she meets the requirements under Ontario law. I can't imagine the other provinces are all that much different.

We've gone through everything there is, inside and out, top and bottom, plaid and polka-dotted.... and because of the type of visa she has, she's screwed. The Work/Holiday Visa she applied for is outside of all of the other normal categories that most are covered by and thus, there is no coverage for her whatsoever, even if we're married.

If she applied for the Spousal Visa which she now qualifies for, sure, in a few months she could be covered..... and maybe in three more years, she'll hear back on her approval or not..... but why go through all that for just a couple more months to be covered, when by the time she hears back on her approval, she'd already be booted out of the country?

Meanwhile for me to apply to Australia, not only would I also have a similar wait for them to "get" the application, thus get some coverage.... I only have a 2-3 month wait to hear if I am approved, which we'll know the approval before she get's kicked out of Canada.... plus her losing her father a few months ago to cancer and now her mother has issues with cancer.... among all of everything all said already, it just makes logical sense in so many ways just to head to Australia and live there, then here.
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
6,770
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Screw the new guy!