Senator Rose-May Poirier

Labour Shortage

Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. While most small businesses across Canada are experiencing labour shortages, New Brunswick is one of the hardest hit provinces, with 60% of small businesses unable to find enough staff. Employee shortages are found across many sectors in New Brunswick, most especially in construction, health care and transport.

Leader, last month’s Speech from the Throne did not mention the severe labour shortages in Canada, and Tuesday’s fiscal update only promised to bring forward a strategy next year. What are you doing to help businesses across New Brunswick which are dealing with labour shortages and need help now, not many years from now?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, Senator Poirier. The problem of labour shortages is acute in many provinces and regions within provinces. The government has a number of different measures that it has brought forward and is working with its provincial and territorial partners to address this question. Some of these include reforming economic immigration programs to expand pathways for permanent residency for temporary foreign workers, working with communities and employers to welcome skilled refugees to fill labour shortages and establishing a trusted-employer system to streamline application procedures so that temporary workers can get full-time work.

With respect to more specific groups within the labour force, again, government initiatives like child care should, as the experience in Quebec demonstrated in a spectacular fashion, increase the number of women able to join the workforce, therefore also addressing the labour shortage and helping bolster our economy.

Citizenship, Immigration and Refugees

Refugee Processing Backlog

Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Leader, on Tuesday, my colleague Senator Ataullahjan raised with you the backlog of almost 1.8 million applications at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. As of October, this backlog contained over 775,000 applications for temporary residence including work permits. Businesses in New Brunswick and across Canada are asking the Trudeau government for help in filling their labour needs by improving and streamlining this process.

Leader, Tuesday’s fiscal update promised $85 million next year to process more applications but gave absolutely no details on how many applications are expected to be processed through this funding.

How long will it take to clear the current backlog in work permits, and how will the government simplify the approval process for temporary foreign workers?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for referring to the government’s additional investment in this area and commitment.

As I think I’ve mentioned in response to earlier questions, the government is working hard in support of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s operations. Canada is on track to meet its target of 401,000 new permanent residents this year. As I mentioned before, it has already welcomed 325,000 new permanent residents.

With regard to your other question, the government will continue to seek ways to improve and streamline the processes that are in place for work permits and the like.