Evidence of meeting #78 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was kingsley.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
Again, any commitment that is limited in nature does have effects, and these are commitments that were stated outright. The U.S. has made commitments as well. I think being able to orchestrate the global flow of migrants in the Americas by two of the most important countries is a very good step, and something to be quite proud of as a country.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you, Minister Miller.
Now we will go to the second round.
Again, we have Mr. Kmiec for five minutes.
Please go ahead.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Thank you, Chair.
Minister, in the first two months that you've been in the role, I noticed there was a decline in express entry admissions from the level under the previous minister. The average was about 10,000 to 11,000 per quarter, and now it's gone down to about 8,000 so far.
Do you think there's any reason for this 3,000 drop?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
We will have the ability over the coming months to clarify those figures. They may not be as entirely accurate as you're portraying them to be.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
My officials inform me there was an IT glitch. We look to fix and clarify that.
4:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
As you noted, with category-based selection—now express entry—we have the capacity and ability now to do targeted draws—draws for tradespeople, draws for francophone immigration. At the onset of launching that, we ran into a few IT glitches, and so we delayed a couple of the draws, but we're going to make them up as we go. In fact, in August we launched a draw that saw a skills trade draw—welders, construction workers—and that's 1,300 draws from the express entry pool.
We have another skills one coming before the end of December, so I think we're actively using these flexibilities that we have now on francophones, on health human resources and on tradespeople to try to address some of the gaps in the Canadian economy.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Do you have an estimate on how many construction workers are coming in through the express entry program?
4:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Over the last five years I have 38,000, but I can give you the specifics on draw to draw and what we're seeing. We'd be happy to share data in real time with you.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
I'll take that.
My next question is on the express entry schemes for construction workers. I'd just like to know, then, what the numbers are for this year so far.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I think I've rhymed out some numbers here, and I can reiterate them.
There were 1,300 in the August draw for construction—for welders, machine operators and carpenters—so very specific trades, very specific NOC codes.
I would say that is complemented by what we're doing through the provincial nominee program, which has a skills component; through the rural and northern immigration program; and through the Atlantic immigration program.
It's a combination of what the regional needs are, the provincial input and what the federal government can do. That's how you respond to the caps across the country.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Is there a target for the end of year for how many construction workers we've brought in through express entry, and for next year?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
I wouldn't say really. We're actually looking to increase the policy authority so we are much more flexible, perhaps working with industry to make sure, Tom, we are getting those NOC codes properly captured and perhaps sponsored by unions. So we are expanding a lot of programs we have piloted, but to other parts of the country.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
So those numbers that were recited are far below.... Just in July, there were 45,000 construction jobs lost, so it doesn't sound like we're going to be able to offset those with new construction workers coming in.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
We're facing an aging of the population we need to address in that particular trade, Tom, and if your proposal is that this should be done entirely through immigration, I probably wouldn't agree with you, but immigration is a huge part of this. We actually need to train people in-country, people who are already here, so there's a component there we have to game for.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
That's why I was asking in the first round all those questions about construction workers, because if you hold a whole cabinet retreat just on this one issue, I would have thought the numbers were compiled in preparation for that one meeting.
I asked a question at the official languages committee a few weeks ago about the Yeates report. That committee has not received a report yet, so I'm wondering whether you will make a commitment here to give that report to this committee.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal