Increase immigration to give competitive economic advantage

Bain’s Mantra for growth

Canada’s innovation minister has said that a top agenda of the government’s economic agenda is facing resistance not only from within government but also from Canadians worried about their jobs. Navdeep Bains was at the Public Policy Forum’s Growth Summit and made a case for increasing immigration numbers to give Canada a competitive economic advantage.

But Bains said there is a reluctance in Canada to boosting immigration — even from inside the Liberal government. “I have to tell you, I’m hitting a bit of a challenge within government in having this conversation because there is this hesitation of maybe immigration might be viewed negatively,” Bains has been quoted by a leading TV channel. Bains said that resistance is sparked by concerns there is still relatively high unemployment in certain parts of the country and fears that many Canadians view immigration as “someone taking away their jobs.”

“In Canada, we say diversity is our strength. I think we take enormous pride in the fact that we have a multicultural society,” Bains told the conference. “But the honest truth is that there is still reluctance here around immigration policy. When we want to talk about immigration and we say we want to bring more immigrants in because it’s good for the economy, we still get push-back,” he said.

Bains said the government needs to do a better job of selling the message that “more immigration creates more jobs.” He says that in the era of Brexit, which saw a majority of Britons vote to leave the European Union, and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s anti-immigration protectionist rhetoric, Canada has a competitive advantage in luring global talent.

“We need to change that conversation to say it’s not a social policy, it’s economic policy,” Bains said. “It’s important to our economic agenda, our innovation agenda. If we bring the right people, the motivated people, they will create more jobs and more opportunities for Canadians.”

Bains said his father came to Canada with just $7 in his pocket and worked three jobs before starting his own company, which employed 20 people. “So I’ve seen it first-hand,” he said.