Government Operations committee  The only remark I would make is that we are a willing partner, and anything we can do to assist anyone on the committee, we're willing to do. We can go to training centres. We can meet people who are actually doing stimulus jobs down the road. We can see people who may not have access to stimulus funds, to be fair to everyone on the committee, but at the end of the day, I pledge on behalf of the organizations I represent that we're an open book and we'll work with anyone.

Government Operations committee  We could work together on promoting the hiring of apprentices with our contractors. At the end of the day, these folks need a job to get into an apprentice program. If there's one thing we can do to work together, it would be to promote to the contractors and employers in Canada the value of hiring an apprentice.

Government Operations committee  If that were proposed, if that were in the bucket, so to speak, we would definitely be supportive of such an initiative. I'd say that right now there are roughly 200,000 apprentices who are sort of in the system. Anything we can do to make sure that the transition between the workplace and school is as seamless as possible would be of assistance.

Government Operations committee  As I mentioned earlier, if the stimulus money doesn't move forward, if I come back in a year, say, to this committee, and I report on work hours again, my forecast would be that work hours would be down significantly, sharp and relentless. Perhaps I may make a suggestion. If we feel like the rules are too stringent, maybe Parliament should be working to have the rules amended or worked on.

Government Operations committee  Can we work together to encourage more young people to get into the trades? Absolutely. I'd say we have between 50 and 60 training centres across Canada. We'd be absolutely willing to do outreach to communities and to regular people in those communities who might be interested in coming into the trades.

Government Operations committee  I know that when my wife gives me a deadline and I don't meet it, there is definite pressure. I know she's watching, so I have to be careful what I say. I get your point. My response, with all due respect, would be that if we are going to respect timelines, that's fine, but it's not worth pulling the carpet out from underneath someone standing at the door.

Government Operations committee  In my view, without being partisan, action needed to be taken.

Government Operations committee  Yes, sir, the communication piece around adjudicating different licences, etc., is improving between jurisdictions. We still have an issue with mobility--i.e., can we actually get the member from work site A to work site B? A lot of the time, it's money out of their own pocket. Members have to pay the $3,000 to fly from Saint John to Fort McMurray, or they have to drive six hours from Hamilton to, say, Goderich, to where the work is.

Government Operations committee  Well, the falling off a cliff in 2012 is if the stimulus money doesn't move forward. I guess it's hard to explain, but in construction, the work that has been planned in 2010 and 2011 won't roll out until the end of 2012. So we're about a year and a half behind everything else. So 2012 could be scary if private industry doesn't move forward during 2010 and 2011 with a number of the projects that government is looking for them to do.

Government Operations committee  Sir, I'll deal with the last question first. On the older worker program, I'd like to say that a number of our trades have been getting involved with displaced auto workers--for example, members of CAW, etc., who have been displaced in southern Ontario. They're working with those organizations to help them retrain.

Government Operations committee  Is he home at all?

Government Operations committee  Mr. Martin, I spoke with one of my contractor partners in Alberta who brings in temporary foreign workers from country Y. The average cost to bring that worker to Canada, lodge him, and then send him back is about $15,000. The cost of using an American worker would be much less, around $5,000 per worker.

Government Operations committee  I think as long as the commitment to spend and the commitments that have been made in the stimulus package are actually followed through with, we will have a softer landing in the construction industry than if someone were to flip a switch tomorrow and say we're not going to spend in the future.

Government Operations committee  I'll go first, guys. It really is an opportunity that we have before us to do something differently. The current situation with U.S. workers coming in to do trade work in Canada is that U.S. workers are treated exactly the same as any other person would be from a foreign country.

Government Operations committee  Yes, sir. NAFTA excludes trades workers, so it doesn't include them.