Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, committee, for the opportunity to appear as part of your updates on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our presentation will be a bit narrower than the previous witnesses'. We're focusing on the committee's interest in looking at the measures related to temporary and seasonal workers.
On this topic, as you indicated, Mr. Chair, we'll be sharing the opening remarks. I will be outlining the legislative and regulatory framework governing the entry of temporary foreign workers, including new measures put in place in the context of COVID-19. My colleagues from Employment and Social Development Canada will then describe some of the program specifics that apply to the temporary foreign worker program in the agricultural setting, including rules, program guidance and compliance measures.
My colleague from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will conclude with some remarks on the critical importance of these workers at this time and efforts employers in the sector have made to ensure food supply as well as health and safety for Canadians.
Temporary foreign workers are a significant portion of Canada's labour supply.
For the most part, it is a demand-driven area in that employer demand to hire workers on temporary work permits—