JD Vance blames immigration for Canada's 'stagnating' living standards

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance made a series of posts criticizing Canada’s political leadership, public broadcaster and immigration system, saying our living standards are “stagnating” because of all the “foreign-born” people living here. 

In posts to his X account Friday, Vance says Canada’s elected leaders have created “immigration insanity” by leaning into diversity. 

“While I'm sure the causes are complicated, no nation has leaned more into ‘diversity is our strength, we don't need a melting pot, we have a salad bowl’ immigration insanity than Canada,” he said. 

The posting includes a chart from Ice Cap Asset Management in Halifax that shows the growth in living standards of Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. from the beginning of 2016 to the present.

One of Ice Cap Asset Management’s financial analysts, Richard Dias, added a one-word comment to the post saying that he “agreed.”

The chart does not contain any information detailing what metrics are used to determine the growth rate in living standards across the three countries over time. 

CBC News has written to the company to ask for more detailed information regarding the metrics used and the degree to which immigration policy played a role, but has yet to receive a response. 

Vance also said that any suggestion that Canada's current living standards are the fault of U.S. trade and economic policy is patently false. 

“With all due respect to my Canadian friends, whose politics focus obsessively on the United States: your stagnating living standards have nothing to do with Donald Trump or whatever bogeyman the CBC tells you to blame,” he said. “The fault lies with your leadership, elected by you.”

The government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau had begun cutting immigration after it rapidly increased during the post-pandemic labour shortage.

Prior to Prime Minister Mark Carney taking office, the Liberals had already indicated they were aiming to  shrink temporary residents' share of Canada's population.

In advance of the budget, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the government is aiming to bring immigration to “more sustainable levels.”

“I think Canadians understand that we had reached our capacity — or sometimes even exceeded our capacity — to welcome [newcomers],” he said.

The budget went on to say that Canada will aim to admit only 385,000 temporary residents next year — about 43 per cent less than the 2025 target — and 370,000 in the following two years.