I want to clarify that I'm not for a second suggesting that there aren't innumerable impediments to people getting into the workforce and staying there. But I also want to urge the committee not to make these hearings irrelevant.
I have to tell you that it would be very beneficial for committee members to go to a shopping centre in Calgary right now and talk to a couple of retailers at random. An editorial in the Calgary Herald a few months ago summed it up very well. There was a business owner or manager sitting behind a desk, and a young student came in and handed him a piece of paper. The owner or business manager said, “Is this your resumé?” The student said, “No, it's my list of demands.”
I have to tell you that in this part of the world—I know it isn't absolutely true everywhere in the country—increasingly our members are telling us that they are so desperate for workers that they put up with absolute garbage from employees on a regular basis. Basically employees can tell their customers anything they want, and employers are reluctant to discipline or terminate their employment because they are so desperate.
There are hundreds of thousands of jobs sitting vacant right now. I know there are roadblocks to getting people into these jobs. I'm not suggesting that for a moment. But it isn't the amount of jobs. Often it isn't the salaries or benefits, because employers are doing their share to try to create high-quality employment for the vast majority of Canadians. It is very frustrating to them when they see programs and policies put in place that act as roadblocks.