The Decibel
Why Canada lost consensus on immigration — and how to get it back artwork

Why Canada lost consensus on immigration — and how to get it back

The Decibel
33:29
Play episode

Show notes

The Canadian consensus on immigration cratered last year. In the fall of 2024, an Environics poll found that for the first time in a quarter century most Canadians felt there was too much immigration. Under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, the country experienced one of the biggest periods of immigration growth in its history, but after the shift in public opinion, the Liberal government reversed course. Despite big reductions to immigration levels, most Canadians still think rates are too high. Today, The Decibel is looking at how Canada’s relationship with immigration significantly changed, what it’s meant for the country and the people who have immigrated to it, and where we go from here. Tony Keller, Globe columnist and author of Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong, will walk us through what motivated Trudeau’s dramatic changes to the immigration system and how they impacted the country. And then, Rupa Banerjee, professor and Canada Research Chair in Economic inclusion, Employment and Entrepreneurship of Canada’s Immigrants, will explain the effect that whiplash-like changes to the system have had on recent immigrants and our economy. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More from this show

More
  1. Why people are taking vacations to pick up new skills

    The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing nu…

    18:40
  2. Navigating Canada’s fertility industry

    A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $2…

    30:12
  3. At its core, the Canada-U.S. trade dispute is about autos

    The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald…

    24:09
  4. Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs

    The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect. On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, a…

    25:57
  5. Canadian businesses prepare for long-haul trade war

    After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the wee…

    27:48
  6. Why Canada’s biggest paid plasma collector has paused operations

    Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteer…

    24:37
Now Playing
Why Canada lost consensus on immigration — and how to get it back — The Decibel | Josplay Music