November 4, 2014

Ms. Cristina Martins
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade
Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade
Sixth Floor, 400 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2R9

Dear Ms. Martins:

It is an honour and a pleasure to have you as my Parliamentary Assistant. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade and to outline some of the important work that lies ahead of us.

As you know, our government has a plan to invest in the talent and skills of our people, build modern infrastructure, support a dynamic and innovative business climate, and provide better retirement security to people across the province. At the heart of this plan are partnerships with businesses, people and communities, which will help our government grow the economy, create jobs and implement solutions that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

This balanced and comprehensive plan is underpinned by a focus on fiscal prudence. The mandate letter I received last month from Premier Wynne reinforced our government’s commitment to balance the budget by 2017-18 and to pursue increased openness, accountability and modernization.

Parliamentary Assistants play a key role in delivering these priorities and have a responsibility to put our government’s plan into action.

As my Parliamentary Assistant, you will work to attract a skilled workforce and build a stronger economy, help newcomers and their families achieve success, and promote volunteerism and a culture of community service. You will ensure that newcomers are able to participate fully in Ontario’s inclusive and diverse society and will continue to work with the federal government to maximize the economic benefits of immigration to Ontario.

As Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, your specific responsibilities include:

Citizenship:

  • Engaging with the not-for-profit sector to develop and implement a Volunteer Strategy to strengthen volunteerism and community service in the province, including the creation of a volunteer certification program that recognizes skills acquired through volunteer placements. This program is being developed as part of the province’s legacy plan for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.
  • Promoting and increasing access to the province’s Honours and Awards Secretariat as a corporate resource that coordinates supports and delivers provincial recognition programs and commemorative ceremonies. Information about the Secretariat, programs and recipients should be passed along to Members of Provincial Parliament for distribution, so that Ontario’s volunteer organizations from every community are able to recognize their outstanding volunteers.

Immigration:

  • You will work as an effective advocate to ensure new immigration policies and procedures introduced by the federal government will fairly support Ontario’s goals of attracting and supporting newcomers, and building strong, inclusive, and diverse communities.
  • Working with my ministry officials, you will ensure newcomers are aware of our Bridge Training programs so that they can get their license in their profession or trade or find employment commensurate with their qualifications. These programs help newcomers find employment or attain certification to practice in their field and connect them to their sector, strengthening our economy and making Ontario an attractive destination for skilled immigrants.

I am confident that together, working in collaboration with our partners in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, we can deliver on our commitment to the people we are privileged to represent and serve. I look forward to working with you to deliver our ministry’s mandate, build Ontario up — and help achieve a brighter future for every person in this province.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Michael Chan
Minister