Madam Speaker, the member's question gives me an opportunity to talk about how our immigration plan is adapting to the needs of our economy and communities.

We are listening to Canadians and taking action, as we have done since we formed government in 2015. For the first time, our levels plan sets targets for temporary residents, which include international students and temporary foreign workers, as well as for permanent residents. This approach to welcoming newcomers will help preserve the integrity of our immigration system while responding to community needs and positioning newcomers for success by having adequate resources to support them.

Immigration is essential for our economy and accounts for nearly all of Canada's labour force growth. Following the pandemic, we brought in temporary measures when we faced a severe labour shortage. The plan worked by helping our economy navigate a challenging period and recover more quickly, and prevented a recession. Our levels plan reaffirms our commitment to reducing temporary residence volumes to 5% of Canada's population by the end of 2026.

While we also reduce our permanent residence target, we will increase our focus on attracting the skilled workers we need to build new homes and provide patient care. We remain committed to reuniting families and are continuing our humanitarian tradition of resettling refugees. These lower targets for both temporary and permanent residents are expected to reduce the housing supply gap by roughly 670,000 units by the end of 2027.

On that side of the House, the leader of the official opposition speaks out of both sides of his mouth. Two years ago, during the pandemic, he said he would “remove gatekeepers to allow faster immigration". Just this year, he went to a community event and said we need to “end the deportations”. He said, “We have a worker shortage in Canada. We have a demographic problem. Our population is too old...[and] we need these workers in our country." A few months later, he went to a different community and said the opposite. He promises different things to different people. Canadians cannot trust a word he says.

On this side of the House, we will always listen to Canadians all across the country. We are aware of the existing challenges and we are acting to address Canada's evolving needs. Our immigration plan will support our economy while responding to the pressures faced by families and communities.

Paul Chiang

$515,770.00