The Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development Monte McNaughton stated Ontario needs more autonomy in immigration to ensure newcomers meet the economic needs of the province. He complained the federal government only gives the province 9,000 newcomers to select out of 125,000 that come to Ontario every year, pointing to the relatively small quota allocated to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program as compared to the province’s population. Moreover, McNaughton wants a new federal-Ontario immigration agreement, similar to the deal with Quebec, having the goal to fill out the gaps in the Ontario labour market. As a first step, McNaughton demands Ottawa to immediately double the OINP quota to 18,000 a year.
