OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is disappointed with today’s judgment from the Federal Court giving the Harper government four months to pay health care expenses for bogus refugee claimants and refugees coming from 35 free and democratic countries.

“This court decision is cruel and unusual punishment for Canadian taxpayers,” said CTF Federal Director Gregory Thomas. “We urge the Harper government to appeal this bad decision, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, if that’s what it takes.”

The decision gives the federal government four months to begin paying hospital and doctor bills for refugee claimants whose claims have been rejected. The decision would also force the government to pay hospital and doctor bills for refugee claimants for the 35 “Designated Countries of Origin,” including nations like the United States, Britain, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland.

 “The judge in this case suggests Canada is sending the message to refugee claimants from Australia, Britain, California, or Florida that: ‘their very lives are worth less than those of refugee claimants from places like Afghanistan, Syria and North Korea,’” said Thomas. “This is a ridiculous, ivory tower attack on Canadian values.”

 “Canadians know it’s just good common sense not to offer free medical treatment or transplants to bogus refugees from Paris, London, Zurich, Dallas or Miami,” continued Thomas.

 Thomas noted that the number of refugee claims from the 35 designated countries has fallen from 6,718 in 2011 to 4,298 in 2012 to 323 in the first half of 2013, after the Harper government implemented a wide-ranging reform of refugee policy.