We have concerns, and some of those concerns have been expressed. We heard from witnesses that this decision will negatively affect Canada's international reputation. But more broadly, we also heard some positive stories on immigration, particularly in Manitoba, where there's a much more open approach. Their cap on immigration is much higher than that of other provinces. We need more people coming to Canada and building their lives here. That's the reality, particularly in regions like mine, where we have a declining population and an aging demographic. I'm concerned about some of the changes and what it does to our capacity and to or our brand as a country.
Beyond that, I'm also concerned about some of the messaging coming from the government. When Minister Finley went to Halifax a few weeks ago, the headline in the paper was "Immigration not the answer for fulfilling jobs". She said that rather than turn to immigrants, we should hire from within Nova Scotia. The reality is, there's no evidence that immigrants take jobs from our population here. Immigrants in fact create jobs, in many cases, for themselves and for Canadians who've been here a long time. That's the Manitoba example. The Manitoba example is that since the inception of its program, unemployment rates have actually decreased with significant massive immigration.
I'll use one more example. Part of politics is pedagogy, where we change people's minds. I think there is a perception in parts of the country that immigrants take jobs and actually increase the levels of unemployment. The evidence does not bear that out. A poll was done in Nova Scotia a couple of years ago that asked, "Would you support programs to attract and retain new Canadians to Nova Scotia?" Sixty-five percent of Nova Scotians said no. I disagree with that perception. However, Edmund Burke said that a member of Parliament owes his constituents not simply his work but also his judgment, and to sacrifice his judgment to their opinions is to do them a grave disservice. We have responsibility on both sides of the House, from all parties, to change people's minds, not to affirm negative perceptions of immigration but in fact to work together to do more on this.
I am concerned about some of the messaging from the government that would create the perception that there's massive pressure on the Canadian immigration system by crooks. We have to be careful. Are there people who abuse the system? Absolutely. Do we have to be strong in our approach to them? Yes, but we also have to be careful not to contribute to or foster an attitude or a prejudice towards immigration and immigrants that is inconsistent with the economic dynamism that comes with new Canadians.
I am concerned about this decision, but more broadly, I would like to see us emulate the Manitoba model with provinces across Canada. I'd like to see us welcome many more immigrants than we're welcoming right now. It's important for our country to do that.