Parti Quebecois calls for 'objective and serene' debate on immigration without polarization
With five months to go before the provincial elections, the debate on immigration has been revived.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) is opposed to employer groups' demand to increase the current 50,000 immigrants per year to 80,000, or even 90,000.
The sovereigntist party is calling for a "serious" discussion based on "factual and scientific" data.
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was reacting to the Conseil du patronat and Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec's (MEQ) calls for a considerable increase in the annual immigration threshold to fill the labour shortage.
In a Canadian Press interview on Sunday, the PQ leader argued that despite the constant increases in the number of immigrants admitted to Quebec over the past 30 years, the demand for workers has nevertheless not subsided. The so-called solution has not solved the problem, he said.
What's more, the considerable increase claimed would only increase the demand for services such as family doctors, places in public daycares (CPEs) and housing, said immigration lawyer Stéphane Handfield, who is the PQ candidate in Masson in the October elections.
"Are we doing new immigrants a favour if we don't take these issues into account in our reception and integration capacity?" said Handfield.
SCIENCE OVER IDEOLOGY
"We want a debate based on science and not on ideology or false premises," said St-Pierre Plamondon.
He called for caution to avoid any slippage in this debate, which has had unfortunate precedents.
"The simple fact of asking questions about raising the immigration threshold leads to innuendo about the intolerance of those who ask the questions, it creates a climate that is not serene," said St-Pierre Plamondon.
"Historically, there has been a lot of ideology and stigmatization" on the issue of immigration, and this ends up harming "the right of Quebec to take its own direction," said the PQ leader.
St-Pierre Plamondon criticized the suggestion that as soon as Quebec does not align itself with the Canadian federal model of admitting more and more newcomers, it is accused of being racist, even though immigration is partly within its jurisdiction.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
The PQ leader has many questions.
For example, does welcoming more immigrants create more wealth? Does it really increase the gross domestic product per capita?
"We want to study the macro-economy objectively," he said, demanding more answers.
Handfield also wants to know what the impact of increased immigration is on the linguistic dynamics? What is the impact on the housing crisis? Does it lower the average age of the workforce?
"I've never seen a study that says here's why we need 30,000 or 40,000 immigrants, or here's how we manage to justify that number," said Handfield. "How much does it cost to integrate each immigrant? We always hear the same thing: 80,000 immigrants per year and all the problems will be solved."
Currently, there are no less than 240,000 vacant positions to be filled in Quebec, according to data from the Institut du Québec.
Employers' associations are calling for a catch-up in immigration to make up for the labour scarcity and the delay caused by the closing of borders during the pandemic.
Their consensus is 80,000 per year, but MEQ president Véronique Proulx said the organization would be willing to go to 90,000, almost double the current threshold of 50,000 per year.
The Legault government has not given its official answer.
St-Pierre Plamondon reiterates that he is committed to setting the acceptable threshold for his party by the election campaign.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 8, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
'More aggressive': Tocchet shifts lineups as Canucks get ready to take on Oilers in Vancouver
As the Canucks prepare to take on the Oilers for Game 5, Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet is making changes to the team's lineup.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.