Opposition members accused the government on Monday of using a parliamentary trick to push through sweeping changes to Canada's immigration policies before the House of Commons' two-week Easter break.

Newly elected Liberal MP Bob Rae, middle, is ushered into the House of Commons by Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, left, and Liberal MP Anthony Rota at the start of Monday's question period.
(Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

The proposed changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are embedded in the 136-page budget-implementation bill the Tories tabled in the House this month.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said the government must allow for an open and complete debate on the measures, which propose greater selection powers to limit the number of new immigration applicants.

"Instead of presenting independent legislation, why are they trying to sneak this change through the back door?" Dion asked.

Dion also decried the proposed changes, saying they would give the immigration minister exorbitant powers to choose some immigrants while shutting the door completely on other candidates.

The Liberals ensured the vote on Bill C-50, a confidence motion, did not bring down Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government, but the bill must still be debated and sent to committee before returning to the House for a final vote. Both the Bloc Québécois and NDP voted against the bill.

The prime minister responded by saying the measures were necessary to deal with a backlog of more than 800,000 immigration applicants left over by the previous Liberal government. 

He said the backlogs made it harder to ensure the country's workforce needs were being met and called the five- and six-year delays some applicants face "unfair."

'We need immigrants'

"That's why we made it a confidence motion … and we appreciate the support of the Liberals," Harper added.

New Democrat MP Thomas Mulcair said the government had "stolen a page from the American playbook" and defied parliamentary tradition by including the measures in the budget bill that "relied on the weakness" of the Liberals.

He also accused the Tories of trying to create a system where some nationalities will be excluded from Canada.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley defended the changes, saying they would create a "streamlined" system of handling applicants.

"We need immigrants," Finley said. "We need their talent."

The changes would give the immigration minister the authority to instruct immigration officers to set limits on what types of immigrants — "by category or otherwise" — can have their applications processed each year.

Dion alters shadow cabinet

Since the measures were introduced, Finley has declined to speculate about which immigration categories could be lowered on the priority list.

The raucous question period featured the appearances of former Liberal leadership candidates Bob Rae and Martha Hall Findlay in the House of Commons, as well as Liberal Joyce Murray and Conservative Rob Clarke. The four gained seats in byelection victories on March 17 although Rae was previously elected as a New Democrat.

Earlier in the day, Dion appointed three former leadership rivals to prominent roles in his shadow cabinet in an effort to cast his party as a stronger team than the Conservatives.

Rae will remain foreign affairs critic while taking on additional duties within the Liberal caucus.

Hall Findlay becomes the party's junior finance critic, while Gerard Kennedy, who has not run for a federal seat yet, becomes the critic for intergovernmental affairs.

Dion also appointed one of his closest caucus allies, Bryon Wilfert, to the defence portfolio.

The previous defence critic — the outspoken Denis Coderre — has been moved to handle the heritage, Francophonie and official-languages portfolios.

With files from the Canadian Press