Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will ask my question in French, though.
I address directly Ms. Reynolds about some of her comments I disagree with. This concerns recommendation number one which, I must admit, surprises me a little.
You work in the food service industry, which includes hostelry.
My wife works for a food wholesaler in New Brunswick.
Since we started our hearings in Saint-John's, Newfoundland, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Montreal, Quebec and here, in Toronto, when we talked with the representatives of the fish processing industry, with those of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and with all of you here today, all agreed that we now have a labour shortage.
I would like you to explain us your recommendation to the government to go and find people in an area where the unemployment rate is higher and, as we would say in my area, to ship them to another area of the country. I can tell you that my position on this is clear. Anyway, conservative members are well aware of it.
What do you say to people of an industry located in New Brunswick, in Nova Scotia, in rural Quebec, in Newfoundland and Labrador, who are not affected so much by unemployment as they are by the seasons? If it weren't for changing seasons and the tourism industry, we might have other industries, but it is not our reality. As far as the food service industry and the hostelry sector are concerned, I can understand that in Toronto, they may do business twelve months a year but it is not the case all over the country.
I'm going to explain it to you because, hearing you, I really have the impression that the head office of your organization is located in Alberta. I'm speaking to you about other areas of the country where seasonal industry does exist. You are telling business managers of these areas that we can take their employees and send them to work elsewhere, in provinces where there may be a labour need. This means that the following year, these business will not have the employees they need to operate. They will have to shut down.