Thank you, senator, for reading that question to me. First and foremost, I think we can all agree in this chamber that we have an immigration system that we can be proud of. Certainly, when I travel internationally, my colleagues highlight the beautiful aspects and inclusive nature of our immigration system.

I won’t hide at the same time that this is a consensus and a consensus that we have to distinguish from anonymity. There are people in this country who do not like immigrants and do not want immigrants in this country, but we do have a carefully built consensus that is under stress and under challenge for a variety of reasons, domestically driven and internationally driven.

First and foremost, when I speak to Canadians, I hear them say they are proud of this immigration system — proud, as the International Monetary Fund has highlighted and as the Bank of Canada has highlighted, that we have avoided two recessions because of immigration. Whether we like it or not, we need immigration in this country but we need it in the right way. It has to be a form of immigration that is under control. We have certain aspects of our immigration system that have become overheated. That responsibility always falls on the shoulders of the government.

At the same time, I think we have to acknowledge — and I think it would be unfair not to acknowledge — that this is an immigration system that is the envy of the world. It is a consensus, yes, that is under stress, and we have to keep fighting for it, and that’s what I’m here to do. If there are elements of it that need to be under control, that’s the mandate that the Prime Minister gave me, and it’s my responsibility.

Senator, it will come as no surprise to you that I disagree with your premise and, most likely, the conclusion that you are drawing in your own head. However, I’ll offer this answer to the Senate: This is an immigration system that is challenged. We have some real present obstacles that we are facing when it comes to the number of temporary foreign workers here, that have come here at the behest of institutions like colleges, like universities, like the provinces that have received the benefit from this. And it’s something that we owe to Canadians to get under control. We have taken some measures that are currently showing some real progress. We’re prepared to share that with the Senate and with the Canadian public. But it’s something I think we can be proud of because it is a system that we’re getting under control.