The New Democrats want Ottawa to bring 10,000 government-sponsored refugees here by the end of the year.

NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said Saturday, “We have reached out to the government now because we do not need to wait until October to start this work.  Let’s agree on a Syrian refugee coordinator right now, and put them in charge of a multi-departmental effort to make this happen.”

Dewar adds it’s a good place to start but isn’t enough.

He says if the New Democrats are elected next month, they would also fast-track private sponsorships and respond to the UN’s appeal to resettle more Syrian refugees with a plan to resettle 9,000 government-sponsored refugees each year for the next four years.

Dewar adds it would cost $74 million to resettle 10,000 refugees this year and $63.8 million a year to resettle 9,000 each year until 2019.

”Make no mistake, this is an ambitious agenda.  But when it comes to saving lives, Canadians are ambitious.”