Mr. Speaker, on behalf of His Majesty's official opposition, I have the honour to table the dissenting report to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration's closed work permits study.
The Conservative Party of Canada values the role of temporary foreign workers in supporting our nation's agriculture and other essential industries. Through our contributions to the committee's study, Conservatives sought reforms that would secure predictability and access to labour for sectors struggling with chronic worker shortages. Unfortunately, the final report fell short, failing to include key recommendations that would benefit workers, businesses and the broader economy.
In our dissenting report, we emphasize that the temporary foreign worker program should continue to address specific labour gaps, supporting rural and agricultural communities where Canadian workers are unavailable, while resisting an open work permit model that would undermine this goal. Additionally, we strongly condemn the baseless comments made by the UN special rapporteur, who referred to the temporary foreign worker program's agricultural stream as a “breeding ground for...slavery”. These inflammatory statements ignore the facts and undermine the hard work and ethical standards of Canadian farmers and business owners who strive to provide safe, respectful workplaces.
The Conservative Party will continue to advocate for solutions that safeguard worker rights and secure Canada's food and economic security.