Couillard, Wynne press feds to do more on Syrian refugee crisis

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynnecame together on Friday to urgeOttawa to speed up its process to welcome more refugees to Canada.

"I will continue to ask the federal government to streamline their processes so more refugees can come to the country and can come to Ontario,"Wynnetold reporters ahead of a meeting between her cabinet and Couillard's cabinet.

"I think there should be...a quicker process and I think the federal government needs to step up to that responsibility."

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Wynnealso said she will make a funding announcement on Saturday related to the crisis.

Last week, Quebec Immigration Minister KathleenWeilannounced that herprovince would accept triple the number of Syrian refugees it anticipated taking this year, as a way to help with the refugee crisis.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, millions of Syrians have been displaced. Each day, boatloads of people seeking asylum in Europe arrive on the shores of Greece, Italy and other Mediterranean nations.

The Ontario and Quebec premiers said they want the federal government's co-operation toallowthe provinces to expeditesponsorships of Syrianrefugees.

Quebec has uniquediscretionary powers in matters of immigration, unlike other provinces.

Even so, the federal government is reserving its right to accept or deny refugee applications.

BothWynneand Couillard said it is possible to welcome more refugees and at the same time guarantee the security of Canadians.

"The two are not mutually exclusive,'' she said. "Having the right security measures in place, having the right documentation and the need for documentation, all of that is very, very necessary. At the same time, I think there is more we can do as a nation to expedite the process."

The two leaders echoed their earlier thoughts when they held a news conference after the meeting.

"A country as rich as ours must do more,'' Couillard said. "And we have the means to do more."

Senate plans criticized

Wynne and Couillard were also critical of theNDP and Conservative plans to deal with the Senate.

The Ontario premiersaidNDP Leader Thomas Mulcair's proposal to abolish the Senate isn't realistic.

Wynne, who is actively campaigning for Liberal Leader JustinTrudeau, saidMulcair'sproposition couldn't move forward without the support of provinces or without having a national discussion.

"There would have to be a process, there would have to be a national discussion," she said.

Couillard saidabolishing the Senate would not be inQuebec's interests and he repeated the upper chamber is a fundamental element of the Canadian federation that can't be changed without a constitutional discussion.

TheQuebecpremier also criticized the moratorium on nominating senators proposed by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper in July.