麻豆影视

Politics

    • Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot

    Share

    The federal government slashed immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted Thursday the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The government had targeted bringing in 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026.

    Next year's target will instead be 395,000 new permanent residents, and that will fall to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

    "In the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic, between addressing labour needs and maintaining population growth, we didn't get the balance quite right," Trudeau said Thursday morning.

    "With the plan we're announcing today, along with previously announced measures, we're making our immigration system work better."

    The change comes after significant criticism of the Liberal government's increases to immigration and the impact of strong population growth on housing availability and affordability.

    The federal government estimates Canada's population will decline slightly by 0.2 per cent in 2025 and 2026, before returning to growth of 0.8 per cent in 2027.

    Statistics Canada recently reported that the population on July 1 was a whopping three per cent higher than a year earlier. Between 1998 and 2018, annual population growth was less than 1.5 per cent.

    The Canadian Press reported in January that internal documents obtained through an access-to-information request showed federal public servants warned the government two years ago that large increases to immigration could affect housing affordability and services.

    But Trudeau said on Thursday that businesses and provinces have also been part of the reason why the immigration system got out of control.

    "Far too many corporations have chosen to abuse our temporary measures, exploiting foreign workers while refusing to hire Canadians for a fair wage," Trudeau said.

    "All while under the watch of provinces, some colleges and universities are bringing in more international students than communities can accommodate, treating them as an expendable means to line their own pockets. That's unacceptable, and it needs to change."

    Ottawa is also aiming to reduce the proportion of temporary residents 鈥 which includes temporary foreign workers and international students 鈥 to five per cent of the population over the next three years, down from 7.2 per cent in July.

    The federal government says that means the non-permanent resident population will decrease by 445,901 in 2025, 445,662 in 2026 and will increase modestly by 17,439 in 2027.

    Business groups reacted negatively to the news, arguing it will hurt the ability of employers to fill labour shortages. 

    The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the plan is "disappointing for businesses across the country that, in recent months, have had to deal with abrupt and constant changes to immigration policy."

    "Significantly decreasing our labour pool will impact thousands of these employers across Canada struggling to find the workforce they need to operate and grow," the chamber said in a statement.

    The Canadian Federation for Independent Business said the "dramatic cut" to the targets will hurt businesses who, despite rising unemployment, are facing hundreds of thousands of job vacancies.

    The Bank of Canada's recent business outlook survey found labour shortages are now below the historical average.

    The Liberals' pivot on immigration follows a rapid increase to the number of new permanent residents in Canada and a ballooning number of people coming to the country on a temporary basis. Federal ministers have conceded that has put pressure on housing, health care and affordability.

    NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both reacted by blaming Trudeau for ruining the immigration system in the first place.

    "Trudeau's last minute pre-election reversal cannot be believed. He can't fix the immigration system that he broke," Poilievre said.

    Singh said Trudeau's announcement is a "minor tweak of 20 per cent" and doesn't address the "serious challenges" Canadians are facing when it comes to housing and health care.

    Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the lower numbers will help with the housing shortage, estimating that by 2027, Canada will need to build 670,000 fewer homes to close the gap.

    The federal government plans to prioritize temporary residents for permanent residency, expecting they will fill more than 40 per cent of the permanent residency spots.

    "These people are a young labour pool. They're skilled, they're here," Miller said.

    "They've begun their process of integration and it doesn't place the additional demands on the housing, health care and social services that we see with someone that comes directly from another country. It makes sense."

    The federal government is also increasing its francophone admission target for outside of Quebec to 10 per cent in 2027, up from six per cent this year.

    In a new report published by BMO, senior economist Robert Kavcic writes that the plan will "take stress off the economy and infrastructure that has become almost debilitating in recent years."

    In addition to taking pressure off home prices and rents, Kavcic says the slowdown in population growth will also help reduce slack in the job market.

    As high interest rates sent a chill through the economy, Canada's unemployment rate climbed to 6.5 per cent in September, up a full percentage point from a year earlier.

    Young people and newcomers have felt the brunt of the job market slowdown, facing significantly higher unemployment rates compared to other workers.

    With files from Rosa Saba and David Baxter

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.

    Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the 鈥榤ost elaborate encampments鈥 officers have ever seen.

    Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of dispensaries in British Columbia.

    Four teenagers, including a 12-year-old girl, are facing charges after police say they set an Oshawa, Ont. home on fire while the residents were inside.

    Canada

    • Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of dispensaries in British Columbia.

    • Four teenagers, including a 12-year-old girl, are facing charges after police say they set an Oshawa, Ont. home on fire while the residents were inside.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two suspects in connection with what they鈥檙e calling an 'extensive' fraud investigation linked to a COVID-19 vaccine database.

    • Opposition parties in Quebec City are calling for an emergency debate after more allegations of inappropriate sexual relations between staff in youth protection (DPJ) and minors.

    • The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • Lost Chopin music uncovered in 'thrilling' discovery

      A curator at a museum in New York City has discovered a previously unknown waltz written by Frederic Chopin, the first time that a new piece of work by the Polish composer has been found in nearly 100 years.

    • A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.

    Sports

    • A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.

    • Veteran goalkeeper Erin McLeod, whose soccer career has taken her to Sweden, Germany, Iceland and the Unites States, is coming back to Canada as the first player signed by the Northern Super League's Halifax Tides FC.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.

    New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    • A recent case of measles detected in the Maritimes has a B.C. connection, provincial health officials say.

    • Rescuers with the Vancouver Aquarium freed a sea lion last week from what they say was one of the worst entanglements they鈥檝e ever encountered.

    • Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of unlicensed dispensaries in British Columbia.

    • The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two suspects in connection with what they鈥檙e calling an 'extensive' fraud investigation linked to a COVID-19 vaccine database.

    • A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.

    • A new report says when the province deregulated electricity generation in 2001, it forced Albertans to pay billions more for their power.

    • Many Canadian restaurants owners say the government needs to come up with specific rules for tipping that are 'clear and transparent' for employees and customers alike, a new survey suggests.

    • Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund will celebrate a significant milestone this week, playing in his 1,000th National Hockey League (NHL) game.

    • Advocates are calling on the province for more transparency and oversight as the investigation continues into an eastern Ontario cat rescue accused of abuse, neglect and falsifying medical records.

    • The O-Train opened in Ottawa鈥檚 east end in time for the afternoon commute, after crews chipped away some loose concrete on the south side of the tunnel at St. Laurent Station.

    • Police say the homicide unit is investigating after a man was stabbed and later died Monday night. One person has been arrested.

    • Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida鈥檚 basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens 鈥 sometimes hundreds 鈥 of pictures a day.

    • Quebec wants to cut its share of international students to ease housing pressure and protect the French language, but a recent uptick in study permits has mostly gone to people from francophone countries where the province has explicitly sought to attract more students.

    • The Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec鈥檚 Sylvie D鈥橝mours said she shut her office down Tuesday after its windows were shot at.

    • Premier Danielle Smith says she is taking steps to keep Albertans warm this winter while keeping their utility bills low.

    • Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the 鈥榤ost elaborate encampments鈥 officers have ever seen.

    • Kyle Edward Ball, the writer and director of horror flick Skinamarink, will make his next movie with A24, the company behind Everything Everywhere All At Once and Hereditary.

    • The leaders of Nova Scotia鈥檚 three main political parties were on the campaign trail Tuesday after Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston called a snap election over the weekend.

    • A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    • The family of a Halifax Walmart employee who was found dead inside an oven in the store is still waiting for answers more than a week after her death.

    • For the second time in as many days, a woman was carjacked in Winnipeg.

    • An inmate who escaped from a Manitoba jail Monday night is back in custody after a brief manhunt.

    • An encampment along the Assiniboine River was cleaned up on Monday following a fire.

    • The Saskatchewan Party has maintained its hold onto power, battling its way to a fifth consecutive majority government.

    • The Saskatchewan Party secured its fifth straight majority government Monday, with only two constituencies too close for 麻豆影视 to call as night turned to morning.

    • Elections Saskatchewan says just under 53 per cent of those eligible to cast a ballot in the 2024 provincial election did so, when it comes to advance polls, election day and personal care facility and homebound ballots.

    • The Guelph Police Service Drug Enforcement Unit began investigations earlier this month following complaints about drug trafficking and illegal drug use downtown.

    • A Guelph, Ont. man is celebrating a major milestone while playing the game he loves.

    • Norfolk County Ontario Provincial Police say three people entered the home where they 鈥渋nteracted with seven occupants,鈥 some of whom reported minor injuries.

    • The Saskatchewan Party has maintained its hold onto power, battling its way to a fifth consecutive majority government.

    • The Saskatchewan Party secured its fifth straight majority government Monday, with only two constituencies too close for 麻豆影视 to call as night turned to morning.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP says the intersection between Range Road 2160 and Range Road 2155 is now open following a school bus crash in the area on Monday.

    • Three suspects arrested in West Nipissing earlier this year were part of a group of five who robbed banks across the province, Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday.

    • The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.

    • A Midland senior has resorted to living in her shed out of desperation

    • The results were tighter than almost everyone thought they鈥檇 be in a vote on if South Bruce would be a willing host to the Canada鈥檚 first permanent nuclear waste storage.

    • The London Police Service is looking for a suspect in connection to a hate-motivated assault investigation.

    • On Oct. 22 around 1:20 a.m. police responded to a home in the area of Talbot Street and Horton Street where the homeowner said they received a notification from the doorbell camera.

    • The headliners for the region鈥檚 biggest outdoor country music festival are locked in, and once again, the multi-day event has garnered big names.

    • Five people face a total of 53 charges for their alleged involvement in eight bank robberies across Ontario where more than $2 million was stolen.

    • Provincial police want residents to keep their doors and windows locked after reports of a man trying to gain entry to homes in the Township of Georgian Bluffs.

    • A Devonshire Mall spokesperson has confirmed that staff are aware of social media posts showing cockroaches crawling near guests' food at the mall.

    • Windsor Police are renewing their call for help from the public to solve a city homicide.

    • The Windsor police is searching for an outstanding suspect in connection to a $64,000 bank fraud investigation. One person has been arrested and charged.

    • Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of unlicensed dispensaries in British Columbia.

    • The final count has been completed in B.C.'s nail-biting 2024 election, with incumbent Premier David Eby managing to clinch another victory for the NDP.

    • BC Hydro says the massive Site C dam project in northeastern British Columbia has started generating power.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Food Banks Canada's annual Hunger Count report shows more Canadians than ever are resorting to food banks.

    • RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.

    • A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.

    • The Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority is issuing a flood outlook statement to residents regarding current watershed conditions.

    • An early morning complaint of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a minivan with its engine running in Elliot Lake last week led to impaired driving charges and drug seizures.

    • Sept. 13 became a lucky day for two women from the remote First Nation community of Kashechewan after winning a big lottery prize.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视