On competing classes

Yes, it's highly problematic that the Cons are slashing the availability of applications for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada:

A little-known clause in instructions Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has issued to slash immigration applications from skilled workers abroad appears to limit related immigration and refugee applications based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
...
Mr. Kenney's announcement that he was cutting the number of skilled worker immigration applications to 10,000 from 20,000 received attention abroad and in a few immigration specialty publications, but virtually no coverage in Canada's mainstream media.

Mr. Kenney said the severe reductions were being made despite the fact the government had already reduced the backlog of applications of skilled workers by half since 2008.

But it's especially worth comparing the numbers involved in that category to the number of temporary workers brought in annually:

Every year, over 150,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or to work as live-in caregivers.

In principle, temporary work permits are only supposed to be available to fill positions which can't be filled by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. But it's not hard to see how a deliberate choice to reduce the number of workers able to apply for permanent residence under the skilled worker class will serve to boost the perceived need for more temporary help - ensuring that less immigrants to Canada are able to hold any hope of long-term security in the country, while more work is reserved for the most vulnerable workers possible.