AIMCo Chair Mark Wiseman stated that Canada must ensure that immigrants contribute to GDP and GDP per capita growth. According to Wiseman, Canadian productivity is 27% lower than the US, influencing GDP per capita, income, and wealth. He suggested Canada needs to capitalize on its comparative advantages like immigration and enhance competition. He stated that immigrants should be educated for future jobs, particularly in tech and AI, and be able to work freely across provinces. Wiseman emphasized that immigrants are beneficial, doing jobs many Canadians avoid, but their productivity should be ensured. He argued against using immigrants as cheap labour, warning that if these issues are not addressed, Canada will become relatively poorer than other countries, especially the US. Wiseman concluded by urging Canada to benchmark itself against the US in business competitiveness, worker productivity, and research and development spending.
