Canadian provincial leaders met in Winnipeg this week to discuss shared priorities.
The Premiers highlighted some areas that require urgent action. Three of these areas are closely linked to immigration.
- Build a strong workforce;
- Improve health care;
- Address housing needs
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The Premiers have been meeting annually as the Federation Council since 2003 to help strengthen inter-provincial and inter-territorial cooperation and promote relations between the provincial and federal governments.
Building a strong workforce
They noted that the provinces and territories are best positioned to address the needs of their respective labor markets and growing economies. They say this includes actions on international recruitment, credential recognition and skills training.
The prime ministers say they have urged the federal government to support their respective efforts to address skills gaps through immigration by:
- Expedite existing pathways and expedite application processing to address specific labor market needs, including issuance of required work permits;
- Increase the participation of Provincial and territorial nominee programs in the selection of economic immigrants;
- Increase the responsibility and involvement of the provinces and territories in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; and
- Ensure new immigration pathways are developed in partnership with provinces and territories to support alignment with local labor market needs.
The premiers have also called on the federal government to enter into agreements with the provinces that are similar in nature to the Canada-Quebec Agreement. This agreement allows the province of Quebec take sole responsibility for their own levels of immigration and the selection of all economic immigrants.
Currently, all provinces and territories except Quebec and Nunavut have their own PNPs through which they receive an allocation of nominations that they can issue to candidates they believe will best support the provincial economy and workforce.
Health care
The provinces say they have committed to taking more steps to increase Canadians’ access to qualified health professionals. Health care is a provincial and territorial responsibility, and it is up to these governments to recruit, train and retain qualified health professionals. Provinces say they are supporting further action to expedite credentialing and licensing for internationally educated health professionals.
The provinces have indicated that by working together to apply to the federal government, they will be able to increase funding, hire more health workers and improve health care for Canadians. This has been successful in the past, as after last year’s meeting, the provinces were able to secure an increase in health funding of $196 billion over the next decade, including $46.2 billion in new funding.
affordable housing
Canada is expected to admit 500,000 new permanent residents each year by the end of 2025 but as it stands, affordable housing is in short supply. The Prime Ministers have made several suggestions on how to make housing more affordable for Canadians. The proposed measures include:
- Increase your financial commitment to housing, including support services, operating financing, equity financing, and incentives to promote new offerings;
- Ensure financing flows through provinces and territories instead of municipalities;
- Ensure that programs are flexible, adequately funded, and meet the unique needs and priorities of provinces and territories;
- Streamline approval processes and program management through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; and
- Modify tax policies to incentivize new housing development, especially the development and retention of purpose-built rental properties.
These measures are considered necessary given the rising cost of living in Canada. In fact, Canada’s overnight interest rate increased by 0.25 basis points to 5% on July 12. The Bank of Canada says these rate increases are necessary to curb spending and curb inflation.
When the interest rate rises, it becomes more expensive for banks to borrow money from other financial institutions (such as the Bank of Canada), and the cost is passed on to consumers who need to obtain mortgages or other loans.
Enhanced Program for Displaced Ukrainians
The Premiers also noted that the deadline for applications under the Canada Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization (CUAET) is coming up on July 15. They have indicated that they do not believe the federal government has provided sufficient funding or support for displaced Ukrainians in Canada and are calling for an enhanced support program with a new funding partnership.
reference: www.cicnews.com