Speaking with members of the Chinese community in Markham, just outside of Toronto, newly elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Stephane Dion discussed his plans to keep Canada competitive in the global economy. Mr. Dion highlighted immigration as a crucial element, helping to address Canada's labour shortage.

The speech at a meeting of the Federation of Chinese Canadians is part of a tour by Dion to raise his profile following his recent election as the leader of the Liberal party. A good deal of the speech dealt with a vision of a sustainable Canadian economy. Mr. Dion argued that sustainability applied not just to the environmental impact but also to the labour force. "In 2010, 100 per cent of the manpower growth in Canada will come from immigration, many from Asia" said Dion. With such an important role to play in growth Dion argued that we must do more to facilitate immigration, settlement and adjustment.

Dion paid particular attention in his speech to improving the recognition of foreign credentials. He argued that the failure to do so slows growth by limiting the ways that foreign-trained individuals may contribute to the economy. The Liberal leader also suggested that "there are a lot of things we can do" for the government to make newcomers more aware of available jobs.

With parliament on recess for the holidays, the Liberal party is gearing up for a likely election in the upcoming year. Earlier in the day, Dion made announcements of key members of the team that will direct the party's next election campaign. Mr. Dion was chosen as leader at the Liberal Party's convention in early December.