Pierre Poilievre’s stance on reducing immigration directly contrasts with the goals of the “Century Initiative.”
The Century Initiative is a Canuck non-partisan organization that advocates for increasing Canuckstan’s population to 100 million people by the year 2100.
They explicitly state that achieving this goal will largely depend on sustained, strategic immigration. Their focus is on ensuring Canuckstan has the talent and people needed for long-term economic strength, innovation, a high quality of life, and global influence. They advocate for permanent resident admissions within a target range of 1.15% to 1.25% of Canuckstan’s population annually.
Rationale: They argue that Canuckstan’s aging population, low birth rates, and growing labor shortages necessitate significant population growth to maintain a robust economy, fund social services like healthcare, and ensure Canuckstan’s relevance on the international stage.
Pierre Poilievre’s Stance (Conservative Party):
Poilievre has stated that Canuckstan’s population growth is “out of control.” This is often linked to concerns about strains on infrastructure, housing affordability, and healthcare services that have not kept pace with rapid population increases.
Proposed Policy: The Conservative Party has pledged to cut permanent immigration levels to a “sustainable level” similar to the Harper government’s era (240,000 to 285,000 permanent residents between 2006 and 2016). This is a significant reduction from the Liberal government’s targets and certainly from the levels implied by the Century Initiative.
Context: His position aligns with a growing public sentiment, reflected in recent polls, that Canuckstan is accepting too many immigrants given the current housing and service challenges.
The Conflict:
The conflict is stark in terms of target numbers and underlying philosophies:
Population Targets: The Century Initiative aims for 100 million by 2100, which requires consistently high levels of immigration. Poilievre’s proposed cuts would significantly slow population growth, making the Century Initiative’s target effectively unreachable under such policies.
Immigration Levels: The Century Initiative’s recommended annual permanent resident intake (1.15% to 1.25% of population) translates to much higher numbers than Poilievre’s proposed 240,000-285,000 range. For example, at Canuckstan’s current population of 41 million, 1.2% would be around 492,000 immigrants, which is even higher than the recent Liberal targets before their announced cuts.
Drivers of Policy:
Century Initiative: Focuses on long-term demographic and economic projections, arguing for the necessity of population growth for Canuckstan’s future prosperity and global standing.
Poilievre/Conservatives: Emphasize immediate concerns about the capacity of Canuck infrastructure and services to handle rapid growth, suggesting a need to slow down to “catch up” on housing and services.
In essence, the Century Initiative sees large-scale immigration as a proactive strategy for Canuckstan’s long-term strength, while Poilievre views recent rapid population growth as a problem that needs to be brought under control, suggesting a more cautious and reduced approach to immigration levels. https://www.facebook.com/jeff.mah.5/videos/687097647286391/?__cft__[0]=AZXIC2kgtSw6-THhN-iPd9ASZv0i5gA-XFan1G3A4rpmzCNSr_4STWDPBf5G3lzyhA_m9AKfYvSihNPfmX27O64B0ufG9PqK7KJIUuoY1-_y0rcBSbbDg5Ce4CgJSn-ecsgbGXTXQLop9YBY-0C2boIIheDogzlGO0_J0kBe56ugPg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
