Good afternoon, Mr. Deltell, If I may, I'll speak on that.
My name's Audrey Langlois and I'm a workforce and economic affairs adviser with the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec.
To answer your question, I would say there's definitely shared jurisdiction between the federal and Quebec governments. That has become a sensitive and difficult issue that has led to a lot of debate. I'd even say that it's a societal debate. When things become challenging, it's important to discuss the situation and find solutions.
At this time, it's hard to say why exactly processing times are longer in Quebec. Some would say that it is due to the fact that the files are still paper-based. Others would say it has to do with the immigration thresholds, which are limited in Quebec. Regardless, there's certainly a problem.
The federal government currently has an important role, ensuring the same processing times as in the rest of Canada. Some businesses are feeling the effects of those processing times. For 90% of them, immigration is needed if they want to ensure their productivity and not limit their production activities. We're therefore asking that the federal government reduce those processing times and bring them in line with those in the rest of Canada, and eliminate any delays.