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Notes -
I don't think the population is the biggest problem here, though I grant that once the ratchet has been turned they're too squeamish (or easily distracted, thanks to Trump) about turning it back. If anything I think the complacency is a result of a belief that the immigration system is mostly sensible, and people don't want drama about it like they have down south (people also always underestimate how many migrants come in, though they felt it post-COVID).
It's clear that the ruining of the immigration system was a result of Liberal ideology and business lobbying post-COVID. Carney just baldly stated that he cannot do what the public is asking for and end temporary migrants because business is very concerned about losing that spigot.
I don't really think there's an easy political solution to the fact that businesses want cheap labour and are able to lobby Ottawa to get it, especially given the Liberals' entrenched power. There are benefits to being a vetocracy with neither party being able to dominate like in the US. Theoretically you could remove some programs and put everything under a points-based system but the next Parliament (likely Liberal) can just undo it at will.
There's some argument that the Liberals figured it was money on the ground and they would get to slam the CPC for being racist and maybe they've learned their lesson. I don't buy it though. I think you have to do to parties what happened to the UK Tories before people learn. The lesson here is that they destroyed the reputation of an immigration system that was well-regarded enough that Trump made noises about adopting it in 2016 and they had a couple of years of anxiety and then got right back to governing.
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