Pierre Poilievre comments on international student cap while in Cambridge

Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stopped in Waterloo Region on Wednesday for two facility tours.

Poilievre started the morning by visiting Fil-Trek Corporation in Cambridge, where he met with workers and delivered a speech.

In his remarks, he addressed the housing crisis and immigration.

“Countless international students pile into basement apartments, 26 were found living in one basement in Brampton — and we see that with Conestoga College as well,” Poilievre said.

During a one-on-one interview with 570 NewsRadio, Poilievre was asked whether his government would get rid of the Liberals’ cap on international students.

“No, absolutely not. The numbers are absolutely out of control,” he said.

Poilievre blamed the federal Liberals.

“They added three times as many people as homes and jobs, and what do you know, we now have a housing and a job shortage.”

He added, “We need to pump the brakes on immigration while jobs, housing, and healthcare catch up with the population we have here in Canada.”

Poilievre doubled down further, saying he’d increase the cap on international students if his government were elected.

“Over the next few years, we do need to have a negative net migration — that is to say, more visitors have to leave than new people can arrive. So that we can provide our Canadians with jobs and homes, and our social services can catch up with the out-of-control population growth that Liberals incompetently unleashed in Canada.”

The remarks came on the heels of Poilievre calling for the Carney Liberals to put an end to the temporary foreign worker program.

During his local visit, Poilievre also toured J&R trucking in Ayr.