Essentially the backlog, if not eliminated, will be around for many more years to come. There are plenty of skilled workers currently in the queue. The government has expressed a desire to move to a greater emphasis on meeting immediate labour market needs, the current needs of Canada, and this transition would take many years to happen. This action will facilitate that occurring much more quickly than otherwise would be the case.
On June 5th, 2012. See this statement in context.