A points system is useful when you want to choose a person on the basis of human capital. When the time comes to try to forecast whether there is an immediate need for plumbers in Toronto or whether we need people to work in the oil fields in Alberta, the employer is not prepared to wait for immigration and the points system is not really useful. That is the time when the system that works better is to pick someone to come as a temporary worker and then perhaps let him change his status later to become a permanent resident. We followed Australia's lead when we put that reform in place a few years ago.
On May 13th, 2008. See this statement in context.