Century Initiative Submission: 2023 Federal Pre-Budget Consultations

Written submission for the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2023 federal budget

Century Initiative's submission for the 2023 pre-budget consultation process is focused on ensuring that the federal government take action to enable Canada's long-term economic and social prosperity by responsibly growing the population to 100 million people by 2100. To this end, Century Initiative recommends the following evidence-based recommendations, that are aligned with the findings of our 2nd annual National Scorecard on Canada’s Growth and Prosperity.

Recommendation #1: Meet existing immigration targets as part of the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan and to also continue to build on these targets systematically. Specifically, Century Initiative recommends that:

• Over the next decade, the federal government target immigrant admissions representing 1.15 to 1.25 percent of the total population per year.
• The federal government ensure that Canada’s immigration system is based on a foundation of permanent immigration.
• The federal government recognize that climate change will create increases in global climate migration, and that our immigration targets should build in the necessary cushions for Canada to be able to accept additional climate migrants.

Recommendation #2: Make significant investments in the human resources and digital infrastructure that will enable Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada to effectively process visas.  

Recommendation #3: Stand up policies, programs and funding to close the newcomer income gap through access to quality jobs that match skill level, expertise, and experience. 

Recommendation #4: Commit to investing in the social and physical infrastructures that will support a growing population and ensure a high quality of life and standard for living for all Canadians.