My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Ontario is at a critical juncture. We must welcome more immigrants into our province to meet our ongoing and future economic needs. We have seen reports from all sectors of the economy warning about the low number of immigrants welcomed into Ontario and its adverse impact on our economy. For example, nearly 75% of businesses in the farming industry say they are suffering because of the current labour shortage.

With the release of the federal government’s fall economic statement, can the minister please tell us what effect this will have on how Ontario addresses our immigration and skilled trades deficit?

I want to thank the member again for that question.

Speaker, Ontario continues to urge the federal government to work with its provincial partners to expand programs that help fill labour gaps through immigration. I speak regularly with Minister Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, and I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find common ground and make tangible progress on these issues. At minimum, we expect the federal government to double the number of immigrants Ontario can select, and we are ready to offer them our processing capacity.

It is critical that Ottawa address the ongoing application backlogs and approve applications more quickly so workers who want to come to Ontario can arrive and enter the labour market without unnecessary delays. My message to the federal government is simple: Let’s work together and build a stronger Ontario and a stronger Canada.

Thank you, Minister, for that answer.

Mr. Speaker, the number of job vacancies in our province continues to increase monthly. Many view Ontario as a favourable jurisdiction because of our untold economic opportunity and potential. As Ontario and Canada face economic challenges driven by global uncertainty, all governments must work together to address this issue.

I understand that in Ontario, we can process immigration nominee applications in as little as 90 days, while the federal government requires up to 46 months for the approval process. Because of this unnecessary extended time frame, Ontario and Canada continue to lose billions in economic productivity.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister explain what action our government is taking to address this important issue?