Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 31st, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We're going to stop there.

Mr. Fairey, did you want to say something else?

[David Fairey]

We're not talking about domestic workers; we're talking about temporary farm workers who are vulnerable and whose rights are not being enforced.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

If I'm getting it right, sir, you're saying there should be a tracking system for the foreign workers.

[David Fairey]

Yes.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

And they should be treated differently from Canadian domestic workers.

[David Fairey]

They are being treated differently from domestic workers. They're not—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

You're suggesting a tracking system.

[David Fairey]

Yes, so that the enforcement authorities can inspect their places of work to ensure they're properly protected.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Do you want to answer the question, Mr. Doyle, or—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

No. I'm simply saying that what Mr. Fairey is saying, that it would help the worker, seems to make sense to me. You're looking at helping the worker so that his place of work is fit for him, so that the employer is not taking advantage of him, and what have you.

Isn't that what you're...?

[David Fairey]

That's precisely my point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Exactly, which is—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Are you conducting my seven minutes right now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Go ahead.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Thank you.

I do have a problem when we treat foreign workers any differently from domestic workers. I do have a problem when people are asked to register. It brings back some memories that are not welcome.

[David Fairey]

Well, I think you misunderstand. Their names are already known by Service Canada and by the Customs and Immigration authorities, the border services. Their names are known, because they entered into a contract—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Fairey, are you listening to yourself, sir? Are you listening to yourself, to how you're sounding?

[David Fairey]

Yes.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Their names are known. It's like these people.... I'm sorry, maybe I got confused in your tone, but it certainly sounds as if we're not welcoming them. This is the sense I'm getting from you.

[David Fairey]

That we're not welcoming them?

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Their names are known.

[David Fairey]

Yes. I'm saying that the enforcement authorities don't have their names. The provincial enforcement authorities, such as workers' compensation, such as employment standards, don't have their names, and those are the authorities that are enforcing their rights. How can they enforce their rights if they don't know where they are? How can their conditions of employment be enforced if the location of their jobs is not known?

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Should they be any different from domestic workers? Yes or no.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay, time's up.

Mr. St-Cyr.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I urge you to put on your earphones to hear the fantastic work being done by the interpreters here with us.

I'm going to ask you a number of questions. You need not feel stressed. If you don't have a complete answer, I won't hold it against you; I won't get angry. We're happy that you're here to answer our questions.

Mr. Fairey, I understood from your remarks that there is already a registry of caregivers, of people who stay at home and who help parents with children. Did I understand correctly?