How to fix Canada’s immigration system?

Oct 11, 2024

Guest

Nicholas Keung

Guest

Nicholas Keung, an immigration reporter at the Toronto Star, joins experts Rebekah Young, Mikal Skuterud, and Dan Hiebert to dissect Canada’s immigration dilemmas. They delve into the recent surge of temporary residents and its strain on resources, debating public sentiment surrounding immigration. The group highlights the necessity of a balanced immigration policy that addresses labor shortages while managing public concerns. Key insights include potential reforms and the impact of upcoming government plans on both the economy and society.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 1min

Navigating Canada's Immigration Challenges

01:29 • 16min

Challenges in Canada's Immigration System

17:41 • 6min

Navigating Canada’s Immigrant Surge: Challenges and Responses

23:39 • 2min

Navigating Canada's Immigration Challenges

26:04 • 13min

Economic Sentiment vs. Reality: Understanding Canadians' Financial Well-Being

39:00 • 2min

Navigating Canada's Immigration Landscape

41:16 • 18min

Reflecting on Canada's Immigration Challenges

59:29 • 2min

Immigration has become a hot political issue with politicians — federally and provincially — and Canadians are telling pollsters what they’re feeling: there are just too many people coming into the country, and resources are being squeezed.

In this episode of “It’s Political,” we’ll take a look at what’s happened on the immigration front, how the federal government is trying to reduce the number of temporary residents — now sitting at three million — and the challenges that lie ahead with Toronto Star immigration reporter Nicholas Keung.

Then, we’ll sit down with Scotiabank vice president Rebekah Young, Waterloo University’s Mikal Skuterud, and UBC emeritus professor Dan Hiebert to get their thoughts on what policy makers need to consider, what the number of new immigrants should be, and what to watch for next month when Immigration Minister Marc Miller lays out the government’s three-year plan for permanent and temporary migration numbers.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, CPAC, as well as the CBC, CTV, Global, PBS, CityTV, the Western Standard, True North, the Tyee, the Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, the podcast Uncommons with Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, and the Alberta Government.

In this episode: Scotia Bank Vice President and head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics Rebekah Young, University of Waterloo Economics Professor Mikal Skuterud, University of British Columbia Geography professor emeritus Daniel Hiebert, Toronto Star Immigration reporter Nicholas Keung, as well as the voices of political leaders such as Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, Conservative MP Ryan Williams, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, Quebec Premier François Legault, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, federal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Hosted by Althia Raj.

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Kevin Sexton. And Althia Raj. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.