Immigration Minister Marc Miller has criticized what he called Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “mysterious” proposal to link future immigration numbers with the construction of new homes in Canada.
Speaking at a Jan. 12 press conference in Winnipeg, Mr. Poilievre said, “Conservatives will get back to an approach of immigration that invites a number of people that we can house, employ, and care for in our health care system.”
He noted that the number of homes being built is historically low relative to Canada’s growing population.
“Obviously, you need to build homes if you’re going to bring in people and right now, we’re not building enough homes,” he said.
“We built fewer homes last year than we built in 1972, 50 years ago, when our population was about half of what it is now. We need to make a link between the number of homes built and the number of people we invite as new Canadians.”
Mr. Miller noted that 50 percent of permanent residents are already in the country and presumably have housing.
He stressed that while housing is crucial for affordability and availability of the affordable housing stock, a detailed and practical plan is necessary for implementation, which he believes the Conservatives lack.
“It takes a plan. Mr. Poilievre, with all due respect, and in slogans, in implementation, I think it lacks support,” he said.
“So, I expect a plan, but it takes serious leadership. And this isn’t serious, what’s being [proposed].”
Mr. Miller and former immigration minister Sean Fraser issued a collective statement on Jan. 12, justifying the increase in immigration quotas by stating that it was necessary to prevent economic contraction following the COVID-19 pandemic.
