I think the 1% number was very much a political number, and some people still labour under the illusion that we're hitting it, nearing it, or something.
But setting that aside for a moment, I think it's important to have some targets. The targets should take into account a number of factors, such as the department's ability to gear up and process the applications, the country's labour market needs, and the ability of settlement agencies and provinces to put the infrastructure in place to help people.
Of course, the only way you can determine that is to sit down and talk with these groups, which is what we're starting to do. I think if you do that, then you can have an immigration system that's a bit more orderly.
But saying that, I think it's obvious we have labour market challenges today. While immigration is not the complete answer, it may be part of an answer to our demographic challenges. We need to take these things into account, which is one of the reasons why, for instance, we encourage younger newcomers to come to Canada, because obviously older people don't necessarily solve the demographic challenge. In fact, they make it worse, looking at it from that perspective.
But I would also hasten to add that I think it's true that everyone who comes here makes their contribution in their own way, whether it's addressing the workforce or helping with families, which is the reason grandparents and parents come here. So everyone makes their contribution.
But these are all the factors we have to take into account when we talk about where we want to go with the numbers.