Pierre Poilievre says Canada's immigration system is broken, but the Conservative leader is sidestepping questions about whether he would change current targets.
Appearing before reporters on Parliament Hill, Poilievre criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent comments on housing and pledged to speed up entry for immigrants skilled in the building trades.
The federal government has set a target of welcoming 500,000 immigrants per year by 2025, although some worry about the pressure that could add to the country's housing crisis, driven by what experts agree is a supply shortage.
Ottawa has defended its ambitious target as necessary given the labour shortage and thousands of job vacancies that employers continue to experience since the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered widespread lockdowns.
Poilievre slams the Liberal target as driven by Trudeau's "ideology," but he did not answer repeated questions about whether he would consider reducing the number.
He says a Conservative government would base its immigration policy on the needs of private-sector employers, the degree to which charities plan to support refugees and the desire for family reunification.
