International Trade committee  Thank you very much.

International Trade committee  Well, I most certainly don't want to be seen to be saying that the use of foreign workers is something that I wouldn't want to see. I recognize the demographics that we're facing in our industry. I would like see the public infrastructure funding going to procurement at least hav

International Trade committee  No, I do not.

International Trade committee  I was working from the information that I gathered from the discussions that occurred in the committee Hansard.

International Trade committee  I would support what my brother and sister at the CAW said regarding that, which was that a smart Buy Canadian policy doesn't have to do with protectionism. It has to do with how we're going to excite and strengthen our local, provincial, and federal economies. If that involves

International Trade committee  I'll go ahead and cite two recent examples here in the province of British Columbia that have given us some trouble. One was the construction of the new ferries. We have had a very vibrant shipyard industry in the province of British Columbia for many, many years. What the Provi

International Trade committee  Yes, most certainly. I can speak to my own community in Burnaby, where in fact we do have a fair wage policy, and I know that this was brought up at a recent council meeting. There is some concern that has been exhibited as to what effect it would really have, because when you

International Trade committee  I would suggest that we're sleeping with a giant here. The large international companies and those that operate out of the United States of America know very well how to play the rules. As I said in my statement, the subcontractors and those who will be responsible for delivering

International Trade committee  I think I stated at the end of my presentation that had there been some consultations with our groups, for example, the labour groups, some changes could have occurred. I think this is basically an agreement that was made in the heat of a significant economic event that happened

International Trade committee  I can say--

International Trade committee  I can say that through the reading I have done of the committee Hansard and everything that I read on the site, the only thing I saw was that there were large business associations involved in the consultation process. I spoke with our director in Ottawa. At no time has he been a

International Trade committee  Thank you very much. I want to begin by thanking the committee for this opportunity to appear. The discussion regarding the Buy American legislation has prompted a debate across this nation that touches the very nerve of economic recovery, which, as of the numbers yesterday,

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think you're absolutely correct. I do think so. I think that dialogue has been going on. I'm surprised that it hasn't been allowed to come to fruition. We know that in the residential construction industry, as an example, in excess of 50% is underground right now--across Canad

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Now, on your first point, I just want to respond on the cost to the employer. It would not be an issue if all employers treated them properly, because you would keep your employees. The second thing I would say is that under the PNPs, which are the provincial nominee programs t

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We just need that, and that was what I was talking about--the monitoring, not the tracking. I just want to say one thing. This is about employers too. When you allow temporary foreign workers to be brought into the country by one employer and not to be treated properly, then it