Yes—and thank you to the honourable Ms. Zahid for asking me that question, which I hadn't properly addressed earlier.
I want to say that public trust is maintained and increased when there are no big shifts in policy. When we go toward one direction and then we go completely toward the other direction in any policy, that's when the public trust is eroded.
Of course, it's also when the public discourse starts being, “Oh, our immigration system is broken.” I want to emphasize the role of economic actors, of employers and big business, in Canada. In 2022 they were shouting out loud, “We don't have enough talent. We don't have enough workers. Businesses are leaving Canada because you don't bring in enough workers.” In the fall of 2023, so in about 16 to 18 months, they were saying, “You've inundated the country with immigrants.”
This wasn't helpful. The very big shifts in the policy were not helpful. They eroded the trust. I think we also need to face the reality that Canada is no longer a one-step immigration system. It hasn't been for the past 10 to 15 years. I mean, 50% of our new permanent residents have previous temporary worker or study permits in Canada. In a world in which we are connected in real time to faraway places, to expect that people will do everything abroad, come here on the first day, be permanent residents and make one decision for life—that doesn't reflect our reality. People come as temporary work permit holders or international students. They start families here and they apply for PR.
Likewise, some PRs leave. It's not because Canada is bad. It's because highly skilled people are mobile, and—