Conservative deputy leader says Canadian ‘consensus’ immigration is under strain

Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman says the Canadian “consensus” on welcoming newcomers is straining under the Liberal government’s push to increase immigration levels.

In an interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, Lantsman said that the federal government needs to build “capacity” for increased security screening and immigration enforcement.

“There’s a serious conversation about, you know, about immigration, about the consensus that we enjoyed in the system, about the Canadian dream that is promised to people when they come here,” Lantsman said in an interview.

“People like my parents, people like parents across the country, grandparents who came here to build a better life for their families and now are forced using food banks, who don’t have the housing, who don’t have the health care or can’t see a doctor, can’t find a spot in school.

“This is a system that is broken and it deserves a conversation, and it deserves a government that’s going to take it seriously and not break it.”

The Liberal government’s 2024-2026 immigration plans set a target of 485,000 newcomers this year, rising to half a million new Canadians in both 2025 and 2026.

The majority of those come under “economic” streams, such as high-skilled workers and people nominated by the provinces and territories, as well as family members of Canadians — spouses, children, parents and grandparents.

But those new Canadians will face the same pressures being felt across the country, particularly when it comes to housing and economic opportunity.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has previously suggested Canada’s immigration targets be linked to new housing starts, although it’s not clear precisely how that would work. The federal government