There are a lot of statements in there that I wouldn't disagree with.
I agree with the fact that there has been increased volume that has impacted people in this country, fairly or unfairly, and it's something that I think we've almost taken for granted. The reality with people who are here temporarily is that “temporarily” has to mean something; it's not an automatic guarantee to become a permanent resident. I think that to some extent, a lot of institutions have entertained explicitly or implicitly a sense of false hope that people will immediately become a Canadian citizen.
My heart does go out to those who have had that false hope entertained, but the reality is that not everyone can stay here. Every time I've tried to put a measure in place to make sure that we are reining in some of the unsustainable volumes in areas of my department that have perhaps gotten overheated, it's been with an effort make sure that we're focusing on people who are already here.
It is not a right to become a permanent resident. It is not a right to become a Canadian citizen. Otherwise, you dilute the value of it, and that's something that I firmly believe in. At the same time, it doesn't mean that you treat people unfairly, and those who have undertaken in their own visas to leave at the end of this period obviously have to respect that.
There are nuances in here. It is why I made sure in this plan that a good 40% of the plan was focused on in-Canada draws so that we are bringing in the skilled people that the country needs. While we make sure that those who do have responsibility—including the federal government, but also provincial governments that go out and pick and choose and have their own programs of bringing people in—focus on the domestic pool of often young talent that's here, making the workforce younger.
It is challenging, but it's something that is not couched in absolutes. We have to make sure that we are flexible and make sure that we are reducing the volumes in a fair, managed and controlled way. I think fundamentally that the levels plan we put forward this year is reasonable and shows to Canadians that we've been listening.