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Labour

During question period on labour, the Bloc Québécois asked the government to reverse a change that took effect April 1 requiring businesses to advertise jobs for eight weeks instead of four before hiring a temporary foreign worker, saying the longer wait would keep businesses in regions of Quebec from meeting contract deadlines. Liberal minister Joël Lightbound replied that the government is aware of how important temporary foreign workers are to Quebec’s regions, that as of April 1 Quebec can extend work permits by twelve months once a worker applies for permanent selection, and that Quebec businesses had asked for this measure. He also said the Conservatives want to end the program, which would hurt Quebec’s economy, and that the government is open to working on the program’s rules.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“The government now makes businesses advertise a job for eight weeks instead of four before hiring a temporary foreign worker. Businesses outside big cities need these workers. I want the government to change this rule back to four weeks.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, since April 1, the federal government has been unnecessarily delaying the hiring of temporary foreign workers. Businesses are now required to advertise a job for eight straight weeks without finding a candidate, rather than four, as was previously the case, before they can begin the process of hiring a temporary foreign worker or renewing their permit. Businesses outside the major urban centres do not recruit abroad by choice, but by necessity. Eight weeks is four weeks too many for no reason. Will the government change the requirement back to four weeks?

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“Quebec needs temporary foreign workers. We gave Quebec the power to extend their work permits for one year. The Conservatives want to end this program, which would hurt Quebec's businesses and economy.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are very aware of how important temporary foreign workers are in the regions of Quebec. That is why, on April 1, we gave Quebec the authority to extend work permits. As soon as an application for permanent selection is sent to a worker, Quebec can extend their permit by one year. That is a solution that is unique to Quebec and that meets Quebec’s needs. I would like to point out that the Conservatives on the other side of the House would completely scrap the temporary foreign worker program, which would be harmful to our businesses and Quebec’s economy.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“The government doubled the wait time to hire temporary foreign workers to eight weeks. This delay stops businesses from finishing their contracts on time and hurts Quebec's economy. The government must change the wait time back to four weeks.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, extending the time frame for recruiting or renewing temporary foreign workers from four to eight weeks will cause businesses to miss their deadlines. The regulatory change that took effect on April 1 will prevent our businesses from fulfilling their contracts. There is an urgent need to revert to four weeks. Otherwise, the federal government’s new measure will have an impact on the Quebec economy as a whole, and even more so in the regions. Why not go back to a four-week period instead of delaying worker recruitment in a detrimental way?

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“We have a special fix for Quebec. Starting April 1, workers who apply to stay permanently get their work permits extended by one year. Quebec businesses asked for this. We are also ready to work on the rules for hiring foreign workers.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, as of April 1, we have been offering a solution that is unique to Quebec. Once a worker receives an application for permanent selection, their work permit is extended by 12 months. That is precisely why Quebec businesses asked us for this bridge. As for the issue of labour market impact assessments, we look forward to working with our colleagues on that matter.

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