Two insiders within the governing Liberal Party of Canada are calling for much higher immigration to the country in an open letter published in The Financial Post<\/i> on Tuesday this week.<\/p>\n
Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains and his former chief of staff in 2016 and 2017, Elder C. Marques, say Canada should become even more ambitious with its immigration targets.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada deserves praise for our approach to immigration levels,\u201d the two wrote in their letter in \u201cBut while the absolute numbers may seem high, they actually need to be higher in light of Canada\u2019s population and demographic challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the early 1910s, a much-smaller Canada welcomed similar annual absolute numbers as today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRaising immigration targets responsibly and effectively will require more investments in infrastructure, housing, transit and resettlement services across the entire country, and that means better federal-provincial collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/b><\/p>\n Canada Admits Racism In Its Immigration System, Vows To Do Better By African International Students<\/a> Now retired from politics since last year, Bains is currently vice-chair of global investment banking for CIBC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During his time as a federal Cabinet minister, Bains worked closely with the Advisory Council on Economic Growth, a group that advocated raising Canada\u2019s annual immigration target to 450,000 people a year.<\/p>\n That\u2019s roughly the immigration level for 2024 under the current Immigration\u00a0Levels\u00a0Plan\u00a0for 2022-2024<\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It sets out immigration targets of 431,645 new\u00a0permanent\u00a0residents\u00a0this year, 447,055 next year, and 451,000 in 2024.<\/p>\n Elders, now a partner at the law practice of Blake, Cassels & Graydon, was also a senior advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a bit more than two years from 2017 through to 2019 and later chief of staff to the minister of finance in the Liberal government prior to returning to private practice.<\/p>\n In their letter to The Financial Post<\/i>, Bains and Elders expressly state the views expressed in that letter are solely their own.<\/p>\n They make several recommendations to boost immigration to Canada, including significant reforms to what they describe as administrative chaos.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrent administrative failures are unacceptable,\u201d they insist. \u201cRecently-announced investments should be celebrated, but more is required.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, badly-needed upgrades were put off by governments of both stripes, leaving the consequences for another day. That day is now here. There may not be much political credit in getting administration right, but it\u2019s essential if our system is going to be fair, credible and responsive to what the economy needs. We are in a global race for talent. We need systems that reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch Video<\/b><\/p>\n
\nThe Financial Post<\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nFix The \u2018Administrative Chaos\u2019 At IRCC Say Bains And Elders<\/h3>\n
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