The Conservative government's decision to severely cut the number of visas for parents and grandparents wanting to reunite with their families is an “ill-judged” move, according to Jinny Sims.

A former president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, Sims is entering federal politics, where immigration is a key issue. She is set to be acclaimed as the NDP candidate in Newton–North Delta on February 27.

“It seems to reflect the values of [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper and his government, which is not really for strong families,” Sims told the Straight in a phone interview.

A U.K.–trained immigrant of South Asian heritage, Sims noted that she herself comes from an extended family where “all these relationships are important”.

She belied the notion that elderly people like parents and grandparents are a burden to the economy. On the contrary, Sims argued, their presence in Canada is economically valuable. “They free up parents so that parents can go out to work, and parents have the security knowing that the grandparents are looking out after the children,” she said.

Earlier this month, Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland called public attention to immigration cuts to be made by the Conservative government for this year, including a reduction in the number of skilled workers who will be accepted to Canada.

In a phone interview, Kurland noted that there are 142,000 parents and grandparents abroad waiting for visas from Canada. According to him, the government will issue only 11,200 visas for this group in 2011, marking a 30-percent drop from the more than 16,000 visas issued last year.

“The math says that if you apply today, it's a minimum 13-year waiting period,” Kurland told the Straight.