Commentary
Last fall, Ottawa responded to a surge in public support for immigration restriction with a cut to immigration levels that it promised would “pause population growth in the short term” to ease “pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services.” But a curious question about this policy U-turn is beginning to emerge: Is Canada’s population growth really on pause?
A new report by Benjamin Tal, CIBC’s deputy chief economist, argues that the federal government is significantly overstating the effect its immigration cut will have on population growth—a statistical undercounting that could hamper Canada’s ability to plan for our social services, infrastructure, and housing needs….