Thank you for your question. As you know, colleagues, the government has taken several steps to address the labour shortages across the country within its areas of jurisdiction. I don’t have time to list all the various programs, but let me highlight the new economic pathway: The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot helps employers hire skilled refugees and other displaced individuals. I should also add that the tools open to the federal government are somewhat limited only because the regulation of labour, including the years of retirement, is within provincial jurisdiction, and it’s often a matter of whether it’s collective agreements between workers who are unionized or other provincial statutes. Nonetheless, the federal government, within its jurisdiction, is doing what it can to address this serious problem.

Thank you, senator. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is working with its federal partners, like Infrastructure Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, to develop a whole-of-government approach to immigration levels planning, with a particular focus on Canada’s infrastructure and housing capacity. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is acutely aware of the challenges relating to housing supply, and will continue to support — and pursue strategies that support — our need for continued immigration while addressing our current housing situation.