Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 14th, 2008

[Jon Garson]

An essential role. The chamber believes there's a role for a number of different groups, what we have tended to term under-represented in the economy, be they youth at risk, women returning to the workforce. In the case of British Columbia in particular, it's our aboriginal community. It is the only demographic that is, for want of a better phrase, growing in the right way in terms of the number of youth that could be utilized.

But as I said in the comments that we made earlier, 100% of the growth in the labour force by 2011 in British Columbia, and by 2016 in the country as a whole, will come from immigration. So from our perspective, it's not what role they will play; it's that they are the future of our labour force.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Would anyone else like to answer?

[Corinne Pohlmann]

We would absolutely agree. Again, it's not the silver bullet solution. It's one of many different avenues and ways that we need to deal with this issue, but it's probably one of the most significant, and the fact remains that Canada does compete with other countries in finding the most skilled and the best people for the jobs available here. We need to make sure our immigration system reflects that need.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Just last week there was a story on television describing how immigration wait times are hurting B.C. restaurant owners. Is the current immigration backlog having a negative impact on B.C. businesses?

[Jon Garson]

Just as a general issue, yes, we would feel it is having a negative impact on business. I'll let Joyce speak to the restaurants in particular. As I said earlier, the biggest thing we're hearing from our members is the lack of skilled workers. To a greater degree now, we're hearing lack of workers. “We'll give them the skills, just bring us the bodies”--that's a really strong message we're hearing, and it's not just a slightly smaller oil patch up in the northeast or the lower mainland. It's happening in every single region of the province of British Columbia.

In terms of the individual sectors, we haven't heard of a single sector that's not facing this challenge.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I would like to pass my time to Mr. Komarnicki.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Thank you very much.

Corinne, I was listening to your comments. What we find with the current system is that it appears to be made on the human capital model where you get, as Joyce Reynolds said, dentists and lawyers working in places that don't match their occupation or their skills, and what the country needs is skilled, lower skilled, and some unskilled workers. That's what the economy demands.

Bill C-50 talks about the minister being able to give an instruction that would have an occupational filter, in it that would allow her to direct skilled, unskilled, and less skilled persons to the types of jobs that might be available in the country. If an instruction were issued in that direction, would that be something you would find agreeable or acceptable to what you're saying?

[Jon Garson]

Just to clarify, our understanding is that the instruction is given, but those applicants are still screened against the current point system. It is not a situation where if you are a lower skilled individual you will be acceptable if your application is identified as an occupation within those priorities. You still go against 67 points.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

But obviously if you have a number of persons in the skilled class or in the economic class, the minister can choose from among them, according to Bill C-50. Is that not right?

[Jon Garson]

Understanding that person still would have to qualify against the point system, yes, that's our understanding.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

And the point system is something else. On another day you may have to deal with it, but those who are in the system in the economic class right now, you would agree with me, have to be dealt with one at a time. As you put it in the system, you deal with that applicant, you move on to the next one. This gives the minister the opportunity to pick from among all those in the economic class. Would you not agree with me?

[Jon Garson]

Yes. The way we understand the regulations that are going to be coming in is that the minister could quite rightly say to truck drivers that if they can qualify under 67 points, their application will get dealt with first.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Right. So it's an improvement if you look at it not from the perspective of the point system, because that needs to be dealt with as well, but putting that aside--

[Jon Garson]

Oh, I see. That is a really welcome change as encapsulated by Bill C-50, yes.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

One of the concerns you have with respect to Bill C-50 is that the word “shall” is changed to the word “may”. Would you understand the current system is one where every application has to be considered in the order in which it comes? You can't choose from among them, and the indication of the word “may” would allow some to be rejected and not accepted in return--

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

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

A point of order.

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

Would Mr. Komarnicki either relate where he's coming up with these facts in the immigration manual or would he stick to the facts--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That is not a point of order.

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

It is, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

It is not. It is not a point--

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

It is for the simple reason--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Maybe you can give me the reference for it.

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

Let me finish, Mr. Chair.