November 1

Like Groundhog Day, November 1 always bring renewed, if misplaced, hope.

Immigration law stipulates that the Minister, on November 1, announces Canada’s new immigration plans.

Like Groundhog Day, there is immediate wall to wall media analysis as to whether or not the Minister saw his policy shadow.

After the dust settles, every interest group in the country looks for meaning in the Minister’s plans.

Minister Hussan today, November 1, 2017, repeated the worn “skilled workers are necessary” mantra. He has, yet again, built expectations in Toronto’s trades sectors.

And then the Minister, like the Ground Hog, will go back into his hole. The GTA expectations will crash. The illegal workers will continue to flood in and find illegal jobs.

This skilled trades worker farce will continue until Ottawa follows Queen’s Park tradition of dealing with linguistic reality. In Ontario, workers in many trades can pass trades exams in any number of languages. Driver’s license exams can be written in 21 languages.

Given Ottawa’s slavish commitment to 19th century English-French visa quotas, November 1 will continue to be Immigration Ground Hog Day for Ontario.

Richard Boraks, November 1 2017