François Legault says there will be no increase in immigration to Quebec to offset the shortage of manpower. He only wants people with higher incomes: “À chaque fois que je rentre un immigrant qui gagne moins de 56 000 [dollars], j’empire mon problème. À chaque fois que je rentre un immigrant qui gagne plus de 56 000, j’améliore ma situation.”
Then the payoff: “Si à chaque fois qu’on rentre un immigrant économique, le fédéral nous oblige à rentrer un réfugié ou une réunification familiale, là, on va avoir de la difficulté à aller chercher les bonnes personnes.”
Does Quebec need more fonctionnaires and middle managers? That’s what Legault seems to think. And he seems not to realize that so much is done and made and sustained here by “poorer” immigrants, or by their kids.
I’ve got to quote a Christopher Curtis tweet here: “A government that’s willing to exploit refugee claimants as they die fighting on the frontlines of the COVID crisis while privately deriding them as a drain on the economy is a government lacking in the most basic sense of civic duty.”
Shoe drop: Why does anyone have to make $56,000 if they can easily rent an apartment for $500 a month?
steph 22:33 on 2021-05-03 Permalink
I know immigrant fonctionnaires that could use a decent raise. Legaults proposed 5% raise would put them at 55K. Sounds like Legaults ’empty coffers’ are part of the problem.
Bill Binns 08:44 on 2021-05-04 Permalink
It always sounds weird to me when Quebec acts as though it has complete control over immigration. The first advice I ever got from an Immigration lawyer was to apply from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, make our landing and then go live wherever we want.
There are many doors into this country but none between provinces. Once you’re in you’re in. If 200k unilingual Mandarin speakers decide to relocate from Vancouver to Quebec city tomorrow, there’s not a damn thing Legault could do about it (AFAIK).