Canada's large immigrant population has long been regarded as a virtue — but new data suggests popular opinion on adding more newcomers has gone through a seismic shift after years of explosive growth.

For much of the last 25 years, immigration was something of a third rail in Canadian politics, with few elected officials publicly questioning its value. On that issue, too, there's been a major about-face.

At the Liberal caucus retreat in Edmonton this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney put the immigration system on notice, saying recent levels have not been "sustainable" and a more "focused" approach is required. "It's clear that we must improve our overall immigration policies," he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is going further than he has in the past, calling for " very ha

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