Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you all for being here today in this rather subdued meeting room. I have a few questions for either Mr. Kenyon or Mr. Linklater, for the person who feels more qualified to respond. These questions pertain to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. I merely want to understand the mechanics of this program.
You mentioned that when a request is made, a labour market opinion is required. The request comes from an employer who is experiencing a labour shortage and wants to hire foreign workers. If I understand correctly, it is the employer who requests permission to hire foreign workers.
Is that how things work? Fine.
So, taking into account the criteria that you listed, you will either grant, or deny, this employer the right to hire foreign workers. Is that correct? So far so good.
Of the four criteria mentioned in your presentation, there is one that appears very important and obvious to me:
Are wages and working conditions comparable to those offered to Canadians working in the same occupation?
I would image that the aim here is to avoid a situation where companies hire cheap foreign labour.
Practically speaking, how do you ensure that this criterion is being satisfied?