On credentials

While Canoe reports on the difficulties facing immigrants seeking Canadian recognition of their credentials, the NDP highlights its own plan to facilitate the transition for Canada's newest immigrants:

NDP Leader Jack Layton says the federal government needs to do more to recognize the foreign credentials of immigrants who come to Canada in search of a better life.

He says the NDP is putting forward a seven-step plan that would make it easier for immigrants to get foreign degrees and designations recognized.

The plan calls for the immediate creation of a credentials recognition agency, the establishment of uniform recognition practices across the country, websites to publicize accreditation processes and more mentorship and training programs...

The 2006 federal budget allocated $18 million to consult on the creation of a foreign credentials recognition program, but the NDP says that the Tory government has yet to take any action.

It would seem that the goal of ensuring that the talents of new Canadians are put to good use would be about as non-partisan an issue as could possibly exist. And indeed, the issue may well be one where a sufficient amount of public attention will lead to action which nobody would see fit to oppose.

Which in turn may only make it all the more embarrassing that neither the Libs nor the Cons have dealt with the problem effectively in their recent stays in government. But hopefully the spur from Layton will lead to some needed action in the near future. And with any luck, it'll also point out to voters that the parties who claim to be the only options for government have all too frequently failed to make even minimally effective use of their power to ease the transition for new Canadians.

(Edit: filled in first paragraph.)