QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Labour Shortage
November 2, 2023
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, yesterday, the government released its new Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-26. Despite some calls to reduce immigration levels in Canada, the government has opted to maintain the current trend. The government will stabilize permanent resident levels at 500,000 starting in 2026 to allow time for successful integration. That is great news.
I’m happy to note that the government renewed its long-term focus on economic growth with over 60% of permanent resident admissions dedicated to the economic class. I remain quite close to the business community, and most are telling me that the current labour shortage is a major impediment to our country’s economic growth.
Can you speak to us about the government’s consultations with entrepreneurs and business owners and how those consultations helped shape the new immigration plan?
Thank you for your question. We all know that Canada’s population is aging, and that immigration is now driving most of our population growth and labour force stability. It is concerning that the worker-to-retiree ratio of 7 to 1 from 50 years ago has dropped to 3 to 1 now. While I cannot speak to the specific consultations, the new immigration levels have taken this reality into consideration and will permit the government to bring in the skills and talent needed to fill labour gaps and to ensure our ongoing prosperity.
Thank you for your answer. I trust that our entrepreneurs are happy with this decision. I hope that is also the case among francophone entrepreneurs outside Quebec, who will soon have a larger pool of francophone candidates thanks to your new francophone immigration targets, which will be increased from 6% to 8% by 2026. The vitality of our francophone community depends on it.
How do you explain the decision to stop at 8% when some organizations were calling for a target of 12%?
Thank you for the question. The government is committed to ensuring the long-term strength and growth of francophone communities outside Quebec. That’s why the government is setting ambitious goals to support francophone minority communities and will continue to work closely with community stakeholders to support francophone minority communities across Canada.
