Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Oct. 21st, 2025

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

I think what we have to clarify is that the folks here are already in the system. Either they are employed, or they have the work permit, or they are a student. There's a combination of many....

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

There are still several hundred thousand new permits that are being issued across the different temporary resident strains. Is that correct?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

We do have quite a bit of reduction in—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No, we're not talking about reductions. I'm saying that you're still adding several hundred thousand people to the system. Is that correct?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

We are adding some to it, but not a huge number.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

Why are you adding several hundred thousand more people to the system when youth unemployment is at 14.7% and we have unprecedented hospital wait times.

Why is that number not far lower?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

To answer that question, we are looking at a particular talent, where we need people who will fill those labour shortage gaps, whether it—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Oh, great. Youth unemployment is at 14.7%. Are you suggesting that we need more people in jobs that could be filled by Canadian youth?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

I'm not suggesting that we need more people to fill those jobs, but we have to match the needs of the regions and the national skill sets that we need through new skills. Either we develop the workforce strategy domestically, so that we can train them, or we will bring the new people.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We have a 14.7% unemployment rate and there are 700—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

You have one minute.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

You guys are on track to exceed your targets. We have a youth jobs crisis, yet have you advised the government to pause right now, let's say, temporary foreign worker permits in anything outside of agriculture or fisheries? Have you advised them to do that?

Why are you still accepting LMIAs for jobs that could be filled with students? Have you advised the government to stop that?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

The aspect I mentioned earlier was that we're trying to actually bank mostly those folks who we need—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Why aren't you betting on Canadians?

[Harpreet S. Kochhar]

Well, the Canadian—

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London Centre, ON]

I have a point of order.

The witness was trying to answer, and he was stopped mid-sentence. If we could get full answers.... The questions have been full, certainly, but if we can let witnesses complete their answer, that would be, I think, helpful for testimony purposes.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

On that point of order, before you rule, Madam Chair, I know that my colleagues in the Liberal Party don't like my questions because they speak to the fact that the Liberal government is exceeding temporary foreign work permits to the extent that Canadian students don't have jobs.

My asking, “Why aren't they betting on Canadians?”, is material, and with the time that I have left, I would like the deputy minister to clarify why they are still issuing temporary foreign work permits.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

I would like to raise a question of personal privilege.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Hold on a second.

On both sides, they're not points of order.

I will give 10 or 12 seconds for Mr. Kochhar to respond, and then that's time.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

I would like to raise a question of personal privilege. I don't know what the rules say about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Yes, Mr. Zuberi.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you.

I just heard some imputation about what Liberal members think or don't think. I personally never expressed myself. I don't know if that was—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

That's debate.

On a point of order—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

That's not a question of privilege or a point of order.