Evidence of meeting #82 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was business.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
No, I didn't—
Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
No, if I may, our point—
Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
—was that workers in the NOCs C and D skill categories—
Conservative
Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
—should continue to come to Canada, but they should have the same access to permanent status that higher-skilled workers have. Why do we have a two-tiered standard?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Thank you. We'll conclude with that.
Mr. Sinclair, a very short response, if you can; if not, we'll move on to Mr. Cuzner.
NDP
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
On a point of order, Chair, the parliamentary secretary to the minister said that a number of labour organizations have been invited to her consultations. I wonder if she would share with the committee the list of organizations that have been invited.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
I don't know if that's a point of order, but you're certainly welcome to share it with the committee.
Go ahead, Mr. Cuzner.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Mr. Chair, if we're not careful here, this might break out into a real discussion.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
I'm fearful we may be into a real debate for a change.
I want to mention something first. I had the opportunity two weeks ago to address the national convention for the building trades. On the issue of temporary foreign workers, there was a resolution on the floor before I had the opportunity to address the group.
I want to recognize the fact that the interventions that were coming off the floor all had to do not so much with Canadians being displaced but with the well-being of these temporary foreign workers, the conditions they work in, the wages they're being paid, that kind of stuff. I thought it was gracious of the groups that were making the interventions.
What we're talking about here is a program that has served many well for many years. Certainly in particular sectors it has continued to maintain Canadian jobs, as Ms. Leitch has indicated. It's provided some people from other countries with income they wouldn't have access to, and in an area of labour they're very comfortable with. So it's provided a great deal.
I think the question that has to continue to be asked is, where is the tipping point? I don't disagree with you that there aren't labour shortages in certain areas. It's not so much labour shortages; it's labour availability. You're not seeing people uproot their homes in Cape Breton to move to Moosomin to work at a Subway.
Mr. Davidson addressed this earlier. He's invested his life savings, and he and his entire family are under pressure to maintain a business in that environment. He needs access to these workers.
You sort of want to phase it out, so give me an answer on how he addresses his problem. There's only so much you can make off a turkey club sub. At some point, you're going to go to a McCain's frozen pizza. There's that tipping point, which has been brought up already about that.
What's the solution for a guy in a small rural community who's scrambling to get the bodies to work in his operation?
Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
In our view, it returns to the question asked by the other honourable member, namely, how are we addressing well-anticipated demographic and labour market challenges that are long term in nature?
Do we continue to address them the way we have, through a temporary migrant worker program that entails all of the very restrictive provisions on what migrant workers can do, and which leads to all of the vulnerability and opportunities for exploitation that we've had evidence of, or do we address those challenges and those needs through a permanent economic immigration stream? In our view, it's the latter.
Canadian Counsel, Canadian National Office, United Steelworkers
I would add to Mr. Roberts' comments.
You mentioned the building trades. There's been some coverage in the media in the last couple of days about, I believe, the building trades union indicating some level of support for certain aspects of the temporary foreign worker program. Interestingly enough, in those articles reference is made to a University of Calgary study. Some of the honourable members on the other side were saying they want empirical data. Interestingly, this University of Calgary study supports many of the comments Mr. Roberts and I have been making, that continued reliance on the temporary foreign worker program as a solution to so-called labour shortages rather than looking at labour mobility issues, rather than looking at training issues, is going to have serious adverse long-term consequences for the Canadian economy.
The study concludes by saying that we need to have a more robust immigration policy that brings people into this country to work in Canada and welcomes them to stay here as permanent residents and citizens.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Thank you very much for that.
I know we had committee business, but I've given everybody an opportunity to question you on this very important issue and we went over time. So I would propose to the committee that we move the committee business to the front of the next meeting on Thursday.
I'd like to thank all of the witnesses who appeared today to present testimony.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.
I haven't had an opportunity to speak with the parliamentary secretary about this, but in light of the minister's recent situation.... She's supposed to appear on Thursday. I'm wondering if it would be in everybody's best interest to put that off until the following week.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
We might actually propose to proceed, but maybe we should have a quick discussion here after adjournment of this meeting.
I'll adjourn now because the other committee is about to start. Thank you very much.
The meeting is adjourned.
