Liberal edits to the immigration system are somewhat like a magician’s sleight-of-hand tricks. One hand distracts the audience, while the other maintains the illusion.

The latest flashy distraction came to us Monday: Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault announced that, starting Sept. 26, low-wage temporary foreign worker (TFW) program permit approvals will not be granted in cities with more than six per cent unemployment. TFWs will be limited to one-year stays, and they will only be permitted to make up 10 per cent of their employer’s workforce (down from the 30 and 20 per cent of recent years).