(Lévis and La Pêche) François Legault concedes that the demographic weight of Quebec in Canada could decrease in the context where the CAQ promises to limit the immigration threshold to 50,000 per year. The political parties are engaged in a battle of figures on the number of immigrants to welcome. The Parti Québécois is the only one to want to reduce it by lowering it to 35,000.
Posted at 10:50 a.m.
Updated at 11:36 p.m.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) got the ball rolling on Monday by promising to lower immigration thresholds. The political party does not subscribe to the argument that raising immigration thresholds fills the labor shortage. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon affirms that “this premise is false and unfounded” and believes in this sense that his opponents are on the wrong track with their commitments.
The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) and Quebec solidaire (QS) promise to raise the threshold, while the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) wants to maintain it at the current level. The Conservative Party of Quebec says it is comfortable with a threshold set at 50,000.
To curb the labor crisis, the Conseil du patronat du Québec is urging the next government to raise the annual reception threshold to 80,000 immigrants.
“Adding people does not change, does not solve the labor shortage because these people are both workers and consumers, and their consumption requires the equivalent of work as their delivery. individual work,” pleaded the leader of the PQ during a short stop in Lévis.
He also said that we must take into account the reception capacity of Quebec while the province is hit by a housing crisis and affected by a shortage of doctors and teachers. The PQ specifies that its commitments do not affect the reception of temporary workers.
An argument similar to that of the CAQ leader, who believes that increasing the immigration threshold to more than 50,000 would exceed Quebec’s “reception capacity”. To date, there is no study that has measured this threshold.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The chief caquiste, François Legault, during a stop in a restaurant in Gatineau on Monday
François Legault also sweeps aside the repeated requests from economic groups to respond to the labor shortage. In this regard, the CAQ prefers to rely on the requalification of employees who work in declining sectors rather than raising the immigration threshold.
According to the CAQ leader, the threshold proposed by the Parti Québécois, 35,000, is however too low and would harm economic growth.
In the first year of a Liberal mandate, Quebec would welcome 70,000 newcomers.
This is necessary to meet the labor shortage and fill the 270,000 vacant positions in Quebec, argued Dominique Anglade.
Agreements would be concluded with each of the regions to set the threshold that would apply in their territory for the following years. So, for the years to come, “it could be more than 70,000, it could be less, it will depend on the regions”.
However, the Liberal leader later clarified that “reducing the threshold is not going in the right direction”. “Of course we will not agree with 35,000,” she also said in response to the PQ’s promise.
The weight of Quebec in Canada
Despite everything, if Ottawa chooses to move forward by accelerating, as it intends to do, the number of immigrants who come to settle in the country each year, the demographic weight of Quebec will decrease in the Canadian federation to the benefit of the other provinces. who will welcome these new families.
François Legault said on Monday that he accepted this fact in the name of protecting French.
And why would the federal government pay particular attention to Quebec’s demands, if its weight in the House of Commons is diminishing?
“Because Quebec is a nation. We talked for a long time about being a distinct society, we are one of the founding peoples, and I think so, we must keep a certain weight in the House of Commons and we must respect the fact that Quebec is a nation that needs certain powers, for example in immigration, for example in matters of language, ”replied François Legault.
According to Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the CAQ plunges the province “into a dilemma with no way out” of having to choose between a reduction in the demographic weight of Quebec or the decline of the language by increasing immigration. One more reason to make independence, he pleaded Monday.
Thresholds and protection of French
François Legault estimates that the liberal position or that of QS, which would like to welcome between 60,000 and 80,000, could accelerate the decline of French.
“I have a question for [Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois] : how will he stop the decline of French with 80,000 immigrants a year? I would be very curious to hear his answer, unless he tells us that it is not important for him, the decline of French, ”said Mr. Legault on Monday.
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois
The parliamentary leader of QS quickly replied: “The difference between Mr. Legault and me is that he points the finger and I open my arms. »
“Me, I think that immigration can work in Quebec if we do it like people. If we welcome people, if we have resources for people to settle in all the beautiful regions of Quebec. If we do the work so that there is francization in the workplace,” added Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
New: a Liberal government could reduce the requirements for knowledge of French for immigrants who agree to settle in the regions.
With the collaboration of Tommy Chouinard, Charles Lecavalier and Mylène Crête, The Press