Doesn't that just make it a hit-and-miss scheme, then?
Evidence of meeting #39 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was amendment.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #39 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was amendment.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:10 p.m.
Liberal
9:10 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
It's not for me to say.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
So you'd rather go hit and miss than go on a regularized process?
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Again, it's not for me to say.
9:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Okay, thank you.
Do you want a recorded vote on amendment LIB-17, then?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
9:15 p.m.
Conservative
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
I would paint the sky, I tell you. I'm all in favour of hit and miss, though.
9:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Okay.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4)
We'll go to NDP-18, and we'll go to Monsieur Caron.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I waited until now to discuss the temporary foreign worker program at greater length. Thanks to the government's changes, the program has ballooned obscenely, driving wages down and causing Canadians to be replaced with foreign workers. There are numerous examples showing that to be the case.
The minister has repeatedly said that concrete steps were swiftly taken as soon as the violations came to light. But it's obvious that the Conservative government only takes action when wrongdoing is in the media spotlight.
The minor measures that have been proposed thus far are not enough to fix the situation. We have called for a moratorium on the stream for lower-skilled occupations while the program is under independent review. Last year, we proposed important amendments to improve the program, but the Conservatives rejected them.
So we are proposing another amendment to make the program more transparent. We hope the Conservatives and the Liberal representative on the committee will get behind it.
In the House, when we ask the government whether administrative measures have been imposed—for instance, whether a number of employers have been put on the blacklist—the government says yes. As we see the situation, no real measures have been taken. There's even some confusion as to how many employers are on the blacklist, four or none. Whatever the case may be, it's obvious that the information is inadequate and that we, as members of Parliament, should be able to obtain regular reports on the blacklist and the penalties that have been imposed.
In short, the point of amendment NDP-18 is to give us the ability to obtain reports on how the program is being administered.
9:15 p.m.
Conservative
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Through you to the officials, can you inform me if there is a range of fines that can be applied to employers that are found to be abusing the program?
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Absolutely. The details of those penalties are set out in the regulatory scheme.
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
We don't call them fines. They're administrative penalties.
May 29th, 2014 / 9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Fines would be in a criminal proceeding.
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
There's a distinction there.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Excuse me. I'm just coming to the debate.
Sorry. Can you name that range?
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
The range would be set out when regulations are developed.
9:15 p.m.
Director, Policy and Program Design, Temporary Foreign Workers, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
They haven't been set out yet.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you.
Is the department contemplating what that range might be? Are there other statutes within Canadian law that allow for such administrative—what is it?