Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to welcome you to the committee. I was very pleased to hear your concerns regarding the conditions in which foreign workers live, especially the temporary foreign workers. I think these concerns are very important.
You noted that there were a lot of temporary foreign workers because our immigration system is dysfunctional. You said it was a consequence of a dysfunctional system. I think undocumented workers can be important. We have to help temporary foreign workers, and this doesn't necessarily mean they will become immigrants afterwards.
I think the federal government has a role to play. The government must meet the need for seasonal workers in certain regions. There must be a contract that would be signed by the province. If the federal government gives permits, it's to meet the needs of a specific province--for example, Alberta. The Government of Alberta also has to meet its responsibilities. Temporary workers should not be left at the mercy of employers and they should not be exploited.
I believe...and this is what we really want to do in our committee; this is what we're going to tell the committee to do. We think the federal government should have a certain process that would enable each provincial government to contribute to work norms. We have to resolve this issue first and foremost. If we want to improve the immigration system because it's not working right now, that's another question. We won't be able to solve the temporary foreign worker problem just by accepting them as immigrants.
What do you think about that statement?