Covid excuse doesn’t make sense anymore as there are no longer travel restrictions and everyone is allowed to enter Canada. Maybe there is a reason behind still not allowing outland immigrants to land but it’s most definitely not Covid. If they can bring 40k refugees into the country, they can do the same to approximately same number of economic immigrants. Whatever their reasons are now, they must communicate to set the expectations right.
Hopefully things will change like you said the bureaucracy can be slow and takes time for change in policy.
Its more the question of covering one's posterior. Current govt is a minority one, past one too. If current administration allows immigrants from outside, that will be used as a stick to beat current administration. It will make them unpopular enough to be flipped out in 6 months or so. Which one looks worse?
Truedo allowed foreigner to visit Canada.
Truedo opened flood gates of immigration and brought uncontrolled disease in Canada.
Its a question of maintaining image and value signalling, IMHO. Image matters more than reality.