The meat industry has long said it can’t get enough Canadian
workers, so relies on foreigners it has been allowed to import on a temporary
basis.
The news media discovered a number of employers, none in the
meat industry, abusing the program and so the government clamped down while it
undertook a review.
Davidson said he likes the proposals to:
- - tailor
the program to regional and employer-category differences.
- - favour
“trusted employers” who have had a good track record under the program.
- allow
employers to offer raises.
- - expand
the definition of agriculture to include primary processing.
Some farmers, such as members of
the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, have also called for changes to
the program for temporary foreign workers to help with crops.
One suggested change is that
those who come for a number of years in a row be allowed to apply for
immigration.
Another is to allow the workers
to change employers.
