Valérie Plante said she was indifferent on Friday to the six-month freeze on the issuing of permits for temporary foreign workers who want to settle in Montreal.
The mayor of Montreal was commenting for the first time on the announcement made Wednesday by Quebec and Ottawa, which said they wanted to tackle the housing crisis by limiting arrivals.
“Whenever there are discussions that affect immigration and discussions that take place between the provincial and federal levels, I don’t get involved. The debates about numbers, all that, that doesn’t interest me,” said Mr.me Plante, at a press briefing. “Ultimately, what I want as mayor of Montreal […] “It is that we have appropriate services and that we are able to accommodate everyone.”
The freeze will take effect on September 3 and will only affect jobs with an annual salary of less than $57,000. The measure excludes several sectors, including health, agriculture and food processing.
“Whatever the decision, the issues remain the same: we are in a housing crisis, this crisis is not new, and we want to ensure that those who are here have appropriate services,” continued Mr.me Plante: “Montrealers have difficulty finding housing, as do those who arrive. […] What I hope is that our governments grasp the full scale of the challenges.”