Forget "raising eyebrows". The real effect will be this. We risk losing the best and brightest to other countries.
I don't get why governments and regular Canadians don't get this. If I am a brilliant scientist, I don't give a shit about your diversity quota. I'll go where the grant money is. And I'll go where stability is good. If you offer me a position and tell me it's at risk in 5-7 years because of some quota, I'll consider other options. You'll just move lower down the list.
The thing is. Having a periodic review is actually not a bad idea. Saying that your review is going to be decided based on some diversity quota is not a great idea.
The most frustrating thing here is that the average Canadian just does not understand how important these bright minds are to our economy. In information age, knowledge is power. Having the best and brightest take up residence in Canada attracts more like minds, which in turns improves our economic competitiveness. As if we didn't already bleed our smartest and most accomplished to Europe and the US, the government wants to give them another reason to leave now....