Protecting jobs for Canadians

 

In our riding of Crowfoot, everyone knows that too many of our urban and rural businesses have too few workers to fill available jobs. Economic sectors and geographic regions across Canada also confront labour shortages. This situation affects the progress and economic growth of local communities and our nation as a whole. Our Conservative government’s priority is ensuring that Canadians are first in line for available jobs. 

As your Member of Parliament, I have been listening to the concerns of our local business communities with regard to getting workers to fill jobs. Our strong agriculture industry in particular uses the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Some farms and ranches in our riding have long-term relations with temporary foreign workers who return every year to help us.  

In Crowfoot, we expect that Albertans and other Canadians should have the first opportunity for available jobs or employment. The reforms to the TFWP announced in Economic Action Plan 2013 that came into effect on July 31, 2013, respects our local need for temporary foreign workers.  

English and French are now the only languages that can be identified as a job requirement. This language restriction does not apply to positions under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and most Agricultural Stream or on-farm primary agricultural positions.

As well, the new requirement for employers to expand their advertising efforts to hire Canadians before they will be eligible to apply to hire temporary foreign workers, does not apply to the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and most Agricultural Stream or on-farm primary agricultural positions. We all hope that the advertising reforms will increase the chance for other local businesses to access Canadian workers.  

These improvements help ensure that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is only used as intended—to fill acute skills shortages on a temporary basis. That is exactly the way the program has always worked in our area of Alberta.

Our Conservative government is working to ensure the needs of Canadian employers are met and we can get the precise labourers we need – when we need them. While it is important to ensure that jobs are offered to Canadians first and that firms are prevented from using the temporary worker program to outsource Canadian jobs, employers in our riding always underline for me the fact that anyone they have coming to Alberta from abroad with a pre-arranged job is poised for success and they will be contributing specifically to economic growth. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or previous columns you may write me at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call 780-608-4600, toll-free 1-800-665-4358, 

fax 780-608-4603 or e-mail Kevin.Sorenson.c1@parl.gc.ca.