OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will “not budge” from its commitment to bring immigration to sustainable levels, as Immigration Minister Lena Diab declined to answer reporters’ questions Wednesday morning.“We are not going to budge from getting immigration levels to sustainable levels,” Carney told reporters while entering the weekly Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.“We’re getting them to that level now.”Carney said he has been speaking with provincial governments about establishing the “right levels” of immigration and determining how newcomers can be distributed more effectively across the country and its economy.Diab walked past reporters seeking details about the government’s plans without commenting during the pre-caucus scrum, the Western Standard observed.The government must release its next three-year immigration levels plan by next month..Under the current 2026–2028 plan, Ottawa is targeting 380,000 new permanent residents annually.Targets for new temporary residents — including international students and temporary workers — stand at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in each of the following two years.Ottawa has also pledged to reduce temporary residents to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.Carney’s comments follow Monday’s Alberta referendum, in which more than one million people supported increased provincial control over immigration to reduce intake to sustainable levels, prioritize economic migration and give Albertans priority for new employment opportunities.Approximately 53 per cent of those whose ballots had been counted supported the proposal.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday that the Liberals allowed immigration to run “totally out of control.”He argued provinces should receive greater control because provincial governments are responsible for delivering health care, education, housing and other services affected by population growth.Diab signalled last week that changes could be coming in the next plan, saying Canada needs workers to support economic growth.“We do need people,” she said while announcing changes to the Express Entry system in Kitchener, Ont.Carney previously said the government had brought the immigration system back under control and was considering when Canada could permit a “controlled increase” in population growth.His latest remarks suggest any future increase would be tied to what Ottawa considers sustainable levels and to the capacity of provincial services and labour markets.
