Hon. Robert Black: Thank you, senator. Will you take a question?

Senator Omidvar: Yes, of course.

Senator Black: Thank you. I will point out the reason Charlottetown is so busy at that time is because there is a significant agricultural conference happening that same week, bringing people in from Europe and across Canada.

My question to you is: Will you make every effort to expend public funds wisely?

Senator Omidvar: Of course.

Hon. Robert Black: On Wednesdays, the Canadian Senators Group directs our questions to chairs of committees. Today my question is for our honourable colleague Senator Omidvar, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.

Labour shortages continue to challenge numerous sectors across the country. As an “agvocate” in the Senate, I’m particularly concerned about agriculture, agri-food and processing sectors.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture estimates that the labour gaps in agricultural industries and on farms will grow to exceed 123,000 shortages by 2029. As a result, Canada has and will continue to develop a higher dependence on foreign labour, specifically through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. This is a concern for all Canadians as food insecurity is increasing and supply chain backlogs continue.

Senator Omidvar, can you please update this chamber on your study and let us know what areas and topics have been discussed and will be discussed at the Social Affairs Committee, or SOCI, over the coming months? Specifically, how is SOCI consulting with agriculture, agri-food and processing stakeholders to ensure that the agriculture industry continues to grow and feed the world? Thank you, meegwetch.

Senator Omidvar: Thank you, Senator Black, for your important question and your group’s continued interest in the important work of this committee.

You are absolutely right. Our reliance on temporary foreign workers for meeting labour market shortages to ensure the prosperity of Canadians is an important question and one that the committee is attempting to address in as fulsome a manner as we can. There are many perspectives that we need to pay attention to — those of specific industries, agriculture in particular; the perspectives of regions; and, of course, the perspectives of the workers themselves.

We started our study in November of last year and we held a full panel focusing on agriculture and food. We heard from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, the United Food and Commercial Workers, as well as an academic panel on migrant help. We have received documents from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada and Mushrooms Canada, and we continue to accept submissions.

Senator Black, we also need to focus on hospitality, retail, fish processing and small and rural communities. I predict that our work will continue into the fall, because we have government legislation in front of us.

Suffice it to say that when we come back to this chamber with our report, it will be a full and fair discussion of the recommendations we have heard. I continue to welcome your interest in this question. I also want to acknowledge that, in certain areas, the work of our committee intersects with the work of other committees. We will be talking to you about this further as well.