Alberta minister warns migrants
Don't come to Alberta unless you have a job, place to stay

It wasn't exactly a verbal assault on "eastern creeps and bums" but the intent was the same: If you don't have a job and somewhere to live when you arrive, Alberta doesn't want you here, Employment and Immigration Minister Iris Evans said yesterday.

"I think it's prudent before you come here to find out whether or not you have a job and a place to live," she said. "And we're going to try to provide people offshore particularly with that kind of advice so that they don't come with unrealistic expectations."

It was the same "stay away" message conveyed nearly 20 years ago by then-Calgary mayor Ralph Klein, who blamed an increase in urban crime on "creeps and bums" arriving from Eastern Canada ... albeit with a much different tone.

"I think that everybody in Alberta recognizes there are issues we are tackling, whether it's managing the labour force shortages, managing housing," said Evans.

Evans's warning came as Finance Minister Lyle Oberg pondered tax incentives for developers to get more affordable housing built.

However, Oberg said the complications of market intrusion make such an initiative dicey. He cited the former federal multiple unit residential buildings program, which led to some 196,000 new rental units but almost bankrupted the housing industry.

"In saying that I think there are lessons to be learned and we can do better," Oberg said.

"We want to get more doors on the market, more rental units on the market, to give the renter more choices where to live. How we can do that as a government is very difficult.
"When it comes to tax incentives, my department will take a look at anything that's reasonable, and in fact for this year's budget we will be looking very seriously at tax incentives, at tax cuts and at the taxation issue from all different angles."

Evans noted the government has doled out more than $300,000 in just the last few days for emergency assistance. But all that does is subsidize landlords who gouge and encourages more to do so, critics said in renewing their call for temporary rent caps.

And some of the provincial support programs simply don't help, noted Calgary Varsity Grit MLA Harry Chase, because they're based on needs testing that has more to do with socio-economic status than handling a 50% month-to-month rent hike.

"Clearly something is very wrong with this situation," said Chase.

"Why does the minister continue to suggest calling these help lines and programs when they are completely inadequate for those affected?"

Evans said her department will work with any individual facing an eviction crisis through Service Alberta's 59 provincial offices.

"If people have received an eviction notice or have any kind of income-support problems, that they should visit or contact our office," said Evans

艾伯塔省就业移民部部长向移民提出警告

昨天艾伯塔省就业移民部部长Iris Evans 向移民提出警告：如果你来到这找不到工作，露宿街头，那么艾伯塔不需要你留在这。

Iris Evans认为移民们在来这里之前应该慎重考虑一下是否能找到一份工作，是否能解决住宿问题。她就是要给来加移民这样的建议，以使他们防患于未然。

早在二十年前，已故的卡尔加里市长Ralph Klein也说过同样的“闲人莫入”的话，当时是针对加拿大东部来的无业游民使该市的犯罪率升高这个问题表示了不满，只是口气不同罢了。

财政部部长E Lyle Oberg 曾考虑加大对开发商的税收力度以保证更多经济适用房的建设，在此背景下Evans提出上述警告。

但是Oberg称风云变幻的市场使问题变的很不确定。就此他引用了以前联邦的住宅建筑计划，该计划虽然建成大约196,000个新的房屋可以出租，但这样做几乎毁了房地产业。

Oberg说要汲取以前的教训，现在他们要在市场上获得更多的出租房屋，给予承租人更多的机会选择去哪居住，但作为政府如何达到这样的目的就变得很难了。

就此Evans特别指出政府近日已拨出三十多万元以备急需，但这远远不够，因为这些钱不足以解决每月50%租金的增长带来的住房问题。

Evans强调如果有人收到逐出通知或者有任何经济困难，应该和他们取得联系。

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/05/30/4219544-sun.html