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Finance Minister Donna Harpauer’s blindly ideological response, sometimes reaching the level of downright silly, to Opposition questions in the legislature about the affordability of child care suggests that Saskatchewan parents aren’t about to see their government move toward a $10-a-day daycare plan any time soon.
Saskatchewan’s reaction to the centrepiece announcement in last month’s federal budget that Ottawa is committing more than $30 billion over the next five years to reduce the high cost of early learning and child care services was negative, with Harpauer saying it wasn’t her top priority and Premier Scott Moe silent on the topic.
(Saskatchewan NDP/Submitted)
Her son was born in Regina and has a passport and a Social Insurance Number, but he’s being denied a Saskatchewan health number because of her immigration status.
Pereira, who asked her first name not be used, came to Saskatchewan in 2018 from India to go to school. Nine months ago, she gave birth to her son in Regina.
She is currently waiting on another student visa and has a letter of offer to study at the University of Saskatchewan, but because of her status, her son was denied health coverage from the province.
Pereira was really upset when she found out.
Sask.-born infant denied health card due to mom s immigration status Jo Pereira s eight-month old son is a Canadian citizen, but she was stuck with a medical bill after he contracted COVID-19.
Author of the article: Arthur White-Crummey
Publishing date: May 06, 2021 • 4 hours ago • 3 minute read • The NDP raised the issue of Ms. Jo Pereira and her son (pictured above) in the Saskatchewan legislature on May 6, 2021. Both contracted COVID-19 but encountered difficulty with health coverage. She is here on a student visa, while her child was born here. Photo by David Bruce. Photo by Submitted /jpg
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Saskatchewan’s health minister won’t commit to reversing a policy that left an immigrant mother stuck with a medical bill for her Saskatchewan-born infant.
By Josh Sigurdson
May 6, 2021 4:20 PM
The Saskatchewan NDP is looking for answers after a Saskatchewan-born infant was allegedly denied health care coverage due to being born to an immigrant mother.
Ms. Pereira is an Indian citizen who came to Canada on a student visa in 2018, her son was born in Regina in August of 2020. She claims that her son was denied health care after they both contracted COVID-19.
NDP Critic Meara Conway says it’s unacceptable for the province to have had denied this child the health care it needed, adding it shouldn’t matter where the child’s mother was born.
REGINA Saskatchewan s health minister said he couldn’t provide details when asked why the government denied healthcare coverage to a baby with Canadian citizenship. The child was born in Regina in August 2020. The child s mother, who has worked as a healthcare provider, is an Indian citizen who came to Canada in 2018 on a student visa. Her visa has since expired and she’s waiting to find out if she’s eligible for another. Her child is a Canadian citizen according to the Citizenship Act, which defines any child born in Canada as a citizen. All Canadian citizens are entitled to healthcare coverage according to the act.