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barton group: The measure would target skilled, entrepreneurial newcomers in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, according to The Waterloo Record. The 14-member panel, chaired by Dominic Barton of the firm McKinsey and Co., is to deliver a set of recommendations to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Thursday. McCallum said Wednesday he read the report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth that calls for a 50-per-cent increase in targets to 450,000 people a year. McCallum said meeting the target suggested by Barton group would be costly and might not find broad national support. "The figure he gives is a huge figure," McCallum said. "But this is not a universal view across the country." Discussions are continuing and the government will announce immigration targets for 2017 next month, McCallum added. But he stopped short of endorsing the target in Barton report. "Clearly he demonstrating an opportunity for Canada," Bains said. "We value our diversity, we value our multicultural society and we recognize immigration is an opportunity to create jobs." Bains said the government would need to sell the idea of higher immigration levels to the public. "We, as a government, need to focus on communicating the benefits of growing the economy and part of that growth is investing in people and part of that equation is immigration." Bains said bringing in more skilled workers is part of the government broader agenda that includes investing in research and development, creating jobs and helping companies grow. McCallum cabinet colleague, Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that he "worked very closely" with Barton panel, and favours increased immigration levels. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.