Mr. Speaker, work permits are being given to foreign nationals when qualified Canadians are available.
In one alarming incident in Gold River, B.C., an employer was given permission to bypass local Canadians and bring in cheap labour from India to dismantle the local pulp mill. When he was asked why he did not use Canadians, he wrote “because the cost is too high”. On this basis a permit was granted and foreign nationals took work from Canadians.
On the other coast, Swiss nationals were given permits to come in and erect the new printing press at the Halifax Chronicle-Herald . In this case there were 80 local unemployed millwrights available as 15 foreign national millwrights erected the printing press.
I call it economic treason to deliberately give our jobs away to foreign nationals when qualified Canadians are available. We want this practice stopped. We want some assurance from the government that a better process will be followed before our jobs are given away.