Trudeau says he’s ‘still waiting’ for Quebec premier’s plan on temporary immigration

MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Quebec’s premier of saying things that he “knows aren’t true” about immigration as the two leaders continue to clash over the issue.

His response comes after Premier François Legault last week asked the Bloc Québécois to support a Conservative non-confidence motion to topple the government on the grounds the federal Liberals haven’t acted strongly enough to reduce temporary immigration in Quebec.

Legault has suggested immigration should be a ballot-box question in the next federal election, and has asked all the parties to commit to cutting the number of non-permanent residents to his province by half.

Trudeau said today that his government has worked to limit the number of newcomers by closing a popular pathway used by asylum seekers, by reimposing a visa requirement on visiting Mexican nationals, and by moving to limit the numbers of new temporary workers and international students across the country.

Trudeau said that while his government has acted, his provincial counterpart has yet to present a plan for how to reduce the temporary workers that fall under provincial jurisdiction.

Legault has previously said that in the last two years, the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec has doubled to 600,000 from 300,000, which he says is putting pressure on housing, schools and public services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press