Ontario's PC government is asking the federal Liberals to cover the full cost of illegal border crossers, which they say totals $200-million to date.
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Lisa MacLeod announced the bill at a news conference Monday afternoon, including $74-million in emergency shelter costs for Toronto, $3-million in emergency shelter coordination costs for the Red Cross and $20-million in primary and secondary education costs.
"I was disappointed to hear that the only progress being made [by the Trudeau government] has been federal cabinet minister musical chairs," MacLeod said, explaining that the current crisis is costing the province's taxpayers "hundreds of millions of dollars for a situation we did not create."
However, MacLeod says that this by no means indicates the province isn't welcome to newcomers.
"Ontario is a welcoming society. It has been built by its diversity," she said. "As a Progressive Conservative and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, we have benefitted greatly from diversity across the province, but also throughout the country."
She says the biggest issue are illegal border crossers who skirt the system and make their way to cities such as Ottawa or Toronto, putting a large strain on the city's resources.
"There doesn't seem to be a co-ordinated effort by the federal government to deal with any of the triaging," she said.