John Ibbitson makes the argument in today’s Globe and Mail that one of the key issues the Conservatives need to address during their time running the country is immigration. No official announcement has been made yet regarding their policy on the number of immigrants per year, but unofficially it looks like the numbers will remain pretty static at about 250,000 people per year.
There isn’t another issue as important as immigration. The country is being reshaped by the hundreds of thousands of people arriving here every year. Think of it: At current levels, Canada will be absorbing a million new Canadians every four years. That’s the equivalent of a city larger than Ottawa, Calgary or Edmonton. Each decade, we will be importing the equivalent of the city of Toronto.
As an accountant I can attest to the fact that we are in high demand and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario has created an Occupational Career Path for use by immigrants who hope to become Chartered Accountants and fill the need for public accountants in Canada. Doctors are another profession in high demand and there needs to be progress towards getting foreign-trained health professionals working in Canadian hospitals.