Minister, I find it very hard to believe what you said about Canadians being proud of our immigration system. Your government’s way of doing immigration comes at a cost to the country, the provinces and municipalities. It also burdens public services, which are overwhelmed. How much will your program cost in total? There’s no way to know. There’s going to be an election soon. Prior to that, would you agree to a national audit on the total cost of your immigration-related decisions? That would enable Canadians to judge you more fairly on the basis of your program, which you claim they accept in its entirety.

What program are you talking about?

The immigration program.

The entire program?

A cat could lose its kittens there. Right now, no one knows where things are headed.

I’m always open to an external audit. Considering all the audits we undergo, I would think it’s enough, but I’m not the judge of that. I’m not afraid of criticism. I think that, in our departments, with all the information available on our website, we are very open when it comes to providing this information to Canadians. They can be the judge. If people need more audits, I’m open to that.

You may disagree with my premise, but can you explain to us why I should not believe that Mr. Trudeau’s immigration decisions are more a reflection of his personal ideology, to the detriment of the well-being and economic security of Canadians?

Yes, personal beliefs about the value of immigrants and immigration in Canada play a role. I don’t think that is dogmatic. There are practical reasons too, which is why I was appointed minister, to make the necessary changes. Yes, Canada’s immigration system is facing challenges, but it remains a source of national pride. If not for these measures, we couldn’t have rejuvenated the workforce to the extent underscored by the Bank of Canada — an independent agency — nor could we have avoided recessions. Were some distortions created? Certainly.

The responsibility is shared, but we have our share. We are responsible for ensuring that we act —