I would like to discuss the schedule you are proposing, Mr. Chair. If that is possible, I have no objection. As I see it, the idea is to do it at an appropriate time, as soon as we can. If Monday's schedule allows us to do it then, we should do it.

Once we have finished this discussion, I am going to introduce another motion. So I will raise my hand a little later.

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you.

We'll come back to the committee on timing and scheduling for a briefing, because I don't see a consensus on moving it on Monday.

Given that, the motion has been carried.

Is there any further committee business?

Madame Chabot had raised her hand; then I'll go to Madame Kusie.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to introduce another motion.

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Go ahead. Madame Chabot, you have the floor.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This is a proposal we submitted on December 13. It was distributed to committee members on December 15. The proposal is about the temporary foreign worker program.

The motion reads as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on the effectiveness of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the LMIA process; that the committee invite the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and all other relevant stakeholders to address this issue; that the committee hold a minimum of four (4) meetings on this issue; and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.

When we do the study on the labour shortage, a study that will probably be a priority, the issue of temporary foreign workers will be front and centre. Since the government intends to review this program, I feel that it is perfectly appropriate to add this study to our schedule. Furthermore, if I recall correctly, Mrs. Kusie has introduced a motion along these lines.

I would like to have the committee's support.

Thank you.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

You've heard the motion moved by Ms. Chabot.

Mr. Long, go ahead on the motion.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB

Chair, the issue I have is that we did a study on temporary foreign workers not that long ago. I'm not sure if Ms. Chabot has seen or read that study. I wouldn't think a lot has really changed. We brought in witnesses. We talked to companies. I remember specifically that in Manitoba, I think, we talked to HyLife and Maple Leaf Foods about temporary foreign workers and the challenges and things that they face—challenges yet opportunities.

I'm not sure I can support that one, because the report is there. Sometimes we're guilty of doing a report and ignoring the report we've already done that's sitting on the shelves. I would say on that one that I think we need to not support it.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Mr. Ruff, you have the floor.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Alex Ruff Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

I'm actually going to disagree with Mr. Long. I'm not disagreeing with the importance of going back and reading that previous report. I'll definitely look into that, but some things have fundamentally changed, in particular due to the pandemic, which has impacted so many of our different sectors that utilize temporary foreign workers in the LMIA.

I would suggest that our passing this motion as a future study isn't prioritizing it, and we can always come back and agree as a committee to not bring it forward as a priority if we all feel that the information in the previous report....

I would request that the clerk ensure that the previous report be distributed to all the new members of this committee. That's one way we could then deal with it. I actually do support the motion.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Mr. Ruff.

Ms. Kusie and then Ms. Chabot and then Mr. Long.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Further to Mr. Ruff's comments, I was hoping perhaps the clerk could provide the date on which the last report was completed. If it was prior to the pandemic, I think these labour shortages within the targeted sectors existed previously, but I believe they've been incredibly exacerbated by the pandemic and the current environment. If we could find out what date that was, if it was completed in the last 18 to 24 months even, I think it would be acceptable, but if was previous to that, I agree with Mr. Ruff's comments.

It may not be a priority given these other priorities we've identified, but it remains a critical piece of solving the labour shortage as well as, I believe, contributing to the economy well into the future.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Ms. Kusie. I will see if we can get that.

Ms. Chabot, you have the floor, and then Mr. Long.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I did not have the pleasure and the good fortune to be with you in 2016. If I recall correctly, that last report was submitted in 2016, five years ago. During those years, as a union leader, I was dealing with working conditions for staff in health care, education and daycare services in Quebec.

Today, I feel that the situation has changed. I am not saying that nothing in the report is still relevant, but, five years on, against the background of the pandemic and the labour shortage that the pandemic makes worse, the situation is not the same. Demographic factors are also involved, as we will see.

Since I came into politics, the temporary foreign worker program has been very important in meeting the needs of companies in certain sectors. We have been urged from all sides to make changes to the process. I feel that it would be appropriate to focus on it as part of our work on the labour shortage, because questions will really need to be asked. So it could be an interesting study to do.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madame Chabot.

For the benefit of the members, the previous report was presented in the House in September 2016.

Mr. Long, you have the floor, and then Madame Ferrada.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB

All of us certainly acknowledge that we're in a pandemic. There have been a lot of challenges through that, but when we did this report in 2016, it was an extensive report. We studied every sector.

I come from an aquaculture background. I'm on the east coast. I worked for a company called Stolt Sea Farm. It doesn't exist anymore, but it was an international salmon company here on the east coast.

I know the aquaculture industry certainly has challenges with temporary foreign workers. I was thrilled to do the study. Again, I want to tell the committee that the study was extremely extensive. We talked to every sector and had a lot of input, a lot of good testimony and a lot of very interesting witnesses. Again, I go back to the two companies in southern Manitoba—Maple Leaf Foods and HyLife—and pork producers and the challenges they faced with respect to temporary foreign workers. It was fascinating that without the support of temporary foreign workers they would literally leave $1.2 billion of unsold product on the table.

Again, I'm asking the committee to read that report. Take my free advice, which is that what you want to get at and what you're looking for are already there. There's absolutely no need to do it again.

At times we get caught up on doing a report. We feel good about the report and then it's shelved. A few years later we want to do the report again. On this one, there's just no need to do it. That's my opinion. It was a very extensive report.

I ask all committee members to take the time and get that report. There are a lot of other important issues, Chair, that we can bring forward as a committee that would be a lot more important and will have an impact on so many Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Mr. Chair, again, I want to reiterate that I was part of that study. It was extensive. It was a very good report. I ask all committee members to get it.

I can't support this, because it's duplication. We have a lot more that we could do.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Madame Ferrada, Mr. Coteau and then Mr. Ruff want to speak.

Madame Ferrada.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We have just decided on a motion introduced by our colleague Ms. Zarrillo that dealt with the labour shortage. The amendment made by my colleagues in the Conservative party suggests that we do not limit ourselves to studying the care economy.

That study will allow us to ask questions and perhaps even to see what has changed since the report was tabled in 2016. My impression is that the effect of Ms. Chabot's motion would be to plunge us back into a major study that has already been done. The minister will be coming before us to talk about her mandate letter. Furthermore, we are going to do a study on the labour shortage, which will allow us to address some aspects of the issue that interests my colleague Ms. Chabot. I would therefore propose that she wait a little and see whether we are able to undertake a more specific and more in-depth study on the issue of foreign workers. I would also propose that we see what the 2016 report contained, rather than passing a motion that is so broad that it might well deal with the matters addressed in the 2016 study five years ago.

I studied the foreign workers issue when I was sitting on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. I invite my colleague to familiarize herself with the report that was tabled less than a year ago. I would be happy to talk to her about it, but I feel that, if we want to talk about foreign workers, we will also be getting into the issue of immigration. I would invite my colleague to suggest her idea to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. I feel that our committee could be interested in a number of other topics. I also see that my NDP colleague wants to introduce a motion on income security payments to persons with disabilities. In my opinion, that is extremely important. At the moment, on balance, I would prefer to do that kind of study in order to support those who are most vulnerable.

As part of the study on the labour shortage, we will have the opportunity to discuss and work on the issue of foreign workers. It seems to me that we can give ourselves some room to conduct other studies. That is my opinion, and, unfortunately, I will not be able to support this study. To me, it seems to be too broad and repetitive. We hear an awful lot about foreign workers, but I urge us to collectively decide on the best way to study the issue.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madame Ferrada.

It's Mr. Coteau and then Mr. Ruff, and we'll be conscious of the clock as well.

Mr. Coteau.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Chair, what happens at 5:30? Do we just stop?

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Yes, and then debate will resume during the next committee business, Mr. Coteau.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Okay, so there's roughly two minutes left.

I listened to what MP Long said with regard to previous studies on this subject matter. Of course, temporary foreign workers are an important component to fulfill labour shortages, increase productivity and just really work to help build a better economy in this country. In Ontario, I know it's something the province takes seriously with regard to its continued production and economic development.

If Mr. Long, who was a member of the previous committee, understands that there was a report that was commissioned by the committee and he believes there's value there, as a new member I would like to take some time to look at that report and be able to weigh in on the issue.

What I don't want to do is repeat what was done in the past, and really if something is being done, I think we owe it to ourselves not to commit to doing things over and over and repeating things. Obviously citizens do not want their policy-makers and decision-makers to just repeat the same thing over and over again.

I would ask the committee to take a pause and consider looking at that report. I think we just passed a motion looking at labour shortages, which would definitely include different strategies and components—including, I'm assuming, temporary foreign workers—when it comes to increasing labour capacity.

Considering it's 5:30, maybe we should move to adjourn and deal with this sometime in the future.