Now, CIC figures on your website reveal that for the first five years of the Conservative government, 2006-2010, family class visas have been cut 14.6%, 70,000 to 60,000, and spousal visas have been cut 10%, 45,300 to 40,700. Both of those have been reduced every single year, and parental visas have been cut 23.4% over the same period. Could it be that one of the reasons there's a growing backlog in the family class is not only because we're receiving more applications but because we're also issuing fewer visas?
On October 18th, 2011. See this statement in context.