First of all, I'd like to make a few comments.
I'd like to say to Ms. Alice Colak that we certainly appreciate the work the settlement and immigration people do. It seems that somebody needs to be on the ground to ensure there's an element of fairness and a potential for success for those who are there. I want you to know that we appreciate the work you do. I know there are many organizations like yours across the country, and they are a very valuable asset.
I know that our economy in Canada--Alberta in particular and Saskatchewan in large measure--has taken on a dimension that requires a number of employment positions to be filled. Whether we like it or whether we don't, the demographics show that although our population has increased over the last five years by 1.6 million, 1.1 million of that is through immigration. We're going to have to face the fact that we will be having newcomers coming to our country. The idea is how do we best do that and what systems do we put in place for it.
It's fine to say you can come through the regular system and not use temporary foreign workers. The fact is there's a backlog of 800,000 and a wait time of about six years in some cases. That's not what employers and people tell us they want. They want something faster that meets their needs in getting the right people in the right place at the right time. I think it's time for reform. There's no question about that.
With respect to temporary foreign workers, we are considering the option of having for some of them, including students who come in from foreign countries, the opportunity of applying for permanent residence in Canada after they've been here for a time, to give them permanent residence and then bring their families with them.
Do you see that as a positive step forward?