(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assures us that the arrival of a record number of immigrants to the country over the next few years will come in an “orderly and responsible” manner. Because he is adamant that Canadians remain open to immigration – an undeniable economic advantage for the country at a time when labor shortages are affecting essentially all sectors.
Posted at 5:00 am
Canada has set a target of welcoming 500,000 newcomers annually from 2025, an ambitious policy but one that could put pressure on housing and social programs like health and education, the first minister acknowledged.
The federal government plans to take in 465,000 immigrants in 2023 and another 485,000 in 2024. In three years Canada therefore expects the arrival of about 1.4 million new arrivals.
In an interview with La Presse a few days ago, Mr Trudeau said the new immigration thresholds were not set lightly.
We didn’t just think about that [les pressions sur le logement et les programmes sociaux], but that’s also why we want to raise the immigration thresholds. We need it.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“There is a shortage of construction workers. There is a shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector. There is a lack of childcare workers. We know there is a labor shortage. I cannot travel to the Quebec regions or anywhere else without learning of a labor shortage. It’s not just big business. It’s also the restaurant that has to close on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays because it doesn’t have enough staff,” he illustrated.
He specified that the prioritized categories of immigrants will aim to fill the many vacancies in key sectors of the economy.
“Yes, there is a housing shortage. So we need to think carefully about how to balance and bring in the right categories of immigrants. But getting people to work in construction, services and other sectors, yes, that’s what we need. We have the potential to do that,” he said.
incentives
Mr. Trudeau continued his momentum, arguing that one of the reasons fueling inflation is precisely the labor shortage. “That’s partly a problem because you can’t meet the demand in the economy. So we have to increase the supply. And for that we need to get more people to work. »
To prevent housing pressure from increasing in major metropolitan areas such as Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, the federal government is examining what measures could be offered to newcomers to persuade them to settle in the regions.
There is less housing shortage in the regions, there is more building capacity. We have employment needs. You can direct people without forcing them. People will go where there is opportunity. We’re working on that.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In its most recent budget, the Trudeau administration pledged to tackle the housing shortage by injecting $10 billion over five years to double housing construction over the next decade and make homeownership easier. On average, around 200,000 apartments of all types are built each year. In order to meet housing needs, Canada desperately needs to double the annual rate of construction.
attract talent
According to the prime minister, an ambitious immigration policy gives Canada a major advantage in attracting foreign talent.
“It’s not just about avoiding such problems. One of my main priorities is to recognize that in Canada and Quebec we have an advantage: people are generally open to immigration. People know that it is a source of economic growth and a source of prosperity for the community. In Quebec, these people are expected to speak French or be able to learn it quickly,” he noted.
This openness is taken for granted in Canada. As I travel around the world, I see how different countries have the same labor shortage problems as we do, but at the same time their populations and political dynamics fuel parties that are dogmatically opposed to immigration.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“It’s not a problem we have here. One of the things that protects this advantage is to ensure that people can trust that this is done in an responsible, orderly and predictable way. It will bring challenges, but it will allow you to solve so many others. »
Referring to asylum seekers entering the country irregularly via Roxham Road, Mr Trudeau reiterated that talks with the United States were ongoing to amend the Safe Third Countries Agreement.
“The top priority will be to resolve this situation because we are no longer just talking about people going to Canada. Well, these are people leaving for the United States. It will be more motivating for Americans to get this file done than if it was just one way. Talks with the Americans are progressing. We are optimistic that we can achieve something good. »
Trudeau has no intention of reading Morneau’s book
Justin Trudeau has not read the book his former Treasury Secretary Bill Morneau just published. And he has no intention of reading it either. In this book, which was only published in English last week (Where To from Here – A Path to Canadian Prosperity), Mr. Morneau slanders his former boss, accusing him of having little interest in business and too much image attaching importance to impairment of substance. “When you leave politics, you have a lot of time for reflection and introspection. He took his time for that. I still have too much to do. I don’t want to spend too much time on it. But I wish him all the best,” he said. Bill Morneau resigned as Treasury Secretary in August 2020 after serving five years in the Trudeau government. “We’ve done some good things together. We have been able to massively reduce poverty in Canada. […] I hope it has been good for him to write this book. But I have work to do. »