Sadia Groguhé

[Employment, May 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the example of southern Ontario shows just how out of touch the Conservatives are with the reality of the labour market. Over the past 10 years, there has been a serious downturn in the labour market in Windsor, Hamilton and London because of the Liberals' and Conservatives' inability to revive the manufacturing sector. It would be disingenuous to claim that there is a labour shortage there.

Nevertheless, since 2003 the number of temporary foreign workers has doubled in this region. How can the minister deny that it is his program, together with employers' greed, that is responsible for this situation?

[Employment, May 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to explain away their mismanagement of the temporary foreign worker program by claiming that there is a labour shortage. That is false.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer and job market data, when Kijiji job offers are removed, tell a very different story. What is worse, according to the C.D. Howe Institute the program is creating unemployment in certain regions. When will this government open its books for the Auditor General?

[Business of Supply, May 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP would like the division to be deferred until tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6, 2014, at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.

[Employment, May 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, even the C. D. Howe Institute says that the program is creating unemployment. At 13.6%, the unemployment rate among people under 25 is twice as high as in the rest of the population. By expanding the temporary foreign worker program to unskilled workers, the Conservative government is contributing to unemployment among youth with little or no work experience.

Why is the minister refusing to let the Auditor General investigate and assess the impact of this program on unemployment among young Canadians?

[Employment, May 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have finally seen the light. They have decided not to use data from Kijiji to assess the state of the labour market. As a result, the job vacancy rate has suddenly dropped from 4% to 1.5%. Contrary to what the Conservatives claimed, there is no general labour shortage in Canada. The only shortage in Canada is the shortage of Conservative ministers who can protect the interests of Canadian workers.

When will they ask for an independent review of the temporary foreign worker program?

[Employment, May 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the government is trying to pin the temporary foreign worker program fiasco on a few employers who would abuse it.

However, the Conservatives cannot wash their hands of this matter so easily. They are the ones who threw the door wide open to unskilled workers. They are the ones who issue labour market opinions and they are the ones responsible for ensuring that there are enough inspectors. It is time to regain control of this program and to ask the Auditor General to investigate.

When will the minister do his job?

[Employment, May 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the government had plenty of indications that there were problems with the temporary foreign worker program. The Liberal exotic dancers scandal broke in 2004. There was the 2009 auditor general's report. Since September 2012, we have been regularly pointing out flaws in the program here in the House.

The government claims that it acted to fix the program. However, the program is driving down wages and creating unemployment.

Why is the government refusing to launch an independent investigation of this program?

[Employment, April 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, no NDP member believes that it is okay to replace a Canadian worker with a lower-paid temporary foreign worker.

Excessive use of temporary foreign workers is skewing the labour market. The program is putting downward pressure on wages and working conditions, and it is creating unemployment in some regions. It is not good for businesses either. At the end of each season, they lose the workers they trained, and it is getting harder and harder for them to find skilled workers.

Is that the government's plan—use cheap labour to grow the Canadian economy?

[Employment, April 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the temporary foreign worker program has been a problem for a long time. In 2009, the auditor general warned the Conservatives. She criticized them for not enforcing the rules strictly, and she pointed out that files were poorly documented and that the department's opinions were random. Against all logic, the Conservatives responded to that damning report by relaxing the rules and increasing the number of work permits.

Why are the Conservatives refusing to fix this program to ensure that Canadian workers are not wronged?

[Employment, April 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP has never lobbied for McDonald's restaurants or strip clubs.

The number of temporary foreign workers has doubled under the Conservatives. The program, which was supposed to be used as a last resort, has become a way of driving wages down.

The Conservatives have constantly made the rules more flexible by opening the program to unskilled workers and allowing employers to pay those workers less than Canadians. The C.D. Howe Institute has indicated that the program is partially responsible for the hike in the unemployment rate.

When will the government launch an independent investigation?