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Human Resources committee We're, of course, looking at that as well as other data that becomes available, such as data from our CERB and EI systems, to inform those assessments. Of course, that is reflected in the guidance given to officers assessing applications.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee Yes, we're still processing LMIAs.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee I would have to get back to you with specific data on that. We are prioritizing agri-food and agriculture and other essential services applications at this time.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee The program is still open. We are, of course, applying our due diligence in assessing the applications, including requiring employers to provide credible evidence that they've tried to hire Canadians. We review employers' employment insurance history to see if they've recently laid off.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee Good afternoon. Thank you for your question, Ms. Normandin. The process is already well under way at the Department of Employment and Social Development. Most employers already have the necessary approval. That is already in place. For those who do not, we are giving their files priority and using an expedited process.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee It's the same here. We found out about it at the same time.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee We can certainly look at some of the research that was done, and there were certainly studies around the impact of the TFW program in the fishing sector and the agriculture sector, and we can share those studies with you. We know that Atlantic Canada, in particular, New Brunswick, makes up a half of the TFWs who come to work in the fish processing and seafood sector, so we understand that's a big loss for that jurisdiction.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee Yes, I agree. I think there will be an opportunity to look at the impact of this whole COVID situation on the program and what that means going forward. We'll be turning to those impacts very soon. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in terms of the adjustments that we're going through now.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Human Resources committee I wish I had a longer answer. These are the responsibilities of my colleagues. I don't have the latest status, although I know they were looking at opportunities to expedite some of the processes that are at play. Mr. Kent, you correctly identified the important role of the provincial regulatory authorities in this case.
May 8th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee There are a couple of aspects to this. First, it is important to understand that all workers, when they arrive in Canada, if they don't directly have access to provincial and territorial health systems, must be provided with coverage by the employer to bridge any gap. There are often waiting periods.
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee The federal responsibility for health requirements as it applies to foreign workers or foreign nationals covers the two-week quarantine period. After the two-week period, it's the responsibility of local public health officials.
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee As I mentioned, the travel ban did not restrict foreign workers entering the country to only agriculture. It's open to everyone. Of course, the labour market has changed. Our assessment process includes checks for the labour market situations. Employers must demonstrate that there's a genuine need, that they can genuinely fill that need.
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee As I said, we're adjusting to the current situation and responding to a number of pressures. This is something we're looking into in terms of how we manage intake into the program going forward. As I mentioned, the decision didn't restrain employers from applying. We're assessing how we can better address those situations, and I take your pointed suggestion about more proactively reaching out to connect to Canadians as well.
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee Thank you for the question. The quick answer is yes, with the lifting of the travel ban. All temporary foreign workers were exempted from that travel ban, so we are accepting applications for all sectors at this moment. That being said, we are prioritizing those in the agriculture and agri-food sector, and we're examining the impact, of course, of the current labour market situation on how new applications are going to be assessed.
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé
Health committee I don't have recent figures, unfortunately, in terms of the intake we've had since—
April 14th, 2020Committee meeting
Philippe Massé