Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) met on December 4, 2025, to study the temporary foreign worker program and its impact on Canada's labour market, and to examine supplementary estimates on housing and infrastructure. Appearing were Paul Halucha, Deputy Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; Bénédicte Zé, Education and Mobilization Officer for the Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers; Doug Parton, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Ironworkers Local 97; and Meggie Richard, Prefect of the MRC de Minganie.

Paul Halucha, responding to a question about the launch of Build Canada Homes, said the agency was set up in roughly half the usual 18-month timeline, moving from early design to accepting project proposals through a portal within the same calendar year, reflecting a strong sense of urgency.

Bénédicte Zé described her experience under a closed work permit, including forced labour, confinement, and abuse, and said that obtaining permanent residency allowed her to pursue nursing studies, reunite with her children, and speak out without fear of deportation. She argued that the program's structure creates a power imbalance that leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation, and recommended replacing closed permits with open work permits that include a pathway to permanent residency, so workers can choose to integrate, stay, or leave without suffering abuse.

Doug Parton said the construction stream of the temporary foreign worker program is being used as a business model for cheaper, untrained labour, with employers claiming shortages that do not exist and bypassing Canadian workers. He noted that federal job bank wages can be up to $10.44 per hour below collectively bargained rates, and that one company brought in 1,000 ironworkers over 12 years while supporting only one apprenticeship. He recommended requiring union consultation before approving any trade-related Labour Market Impact Assessment, replacing job bank wages with collectively bargained prevailing wages, restricting access to employers with apprenticeship plans, and pausing construction stream approvals while a new framework is developed.

Meggie Richard said the temporary foreign worker program is essential for the survival of businesses in remote regions like the Côte-Nord, where demographic decline and an aging population make local recruitment impossible. She noted that 72% of businesses in her region employ temporary foreign workers, and that federal caps of 10% on low-wage positions are unrealistic for areas with low unemployment and a small labour pool. She recommended flexible caps of 20% to 30% for remote regions, sector-based exemptions for critical industries like fishing and tourism, administrative fast-tracking, grandfather clauses for workers already integrated, and faster pathways to permanent residency.

The committee also heard from the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, who discussed the Build Canada Homes agency, the build communities strong fund, and other housing programs. During exchanges, Conservative members questioned the minister about a $97,000 conference expense and a $32,000 modular housing demonstration, while Liberal members defended the investments as necessary for training and outreach. The minister stated that Build Canada Homes has no minimum project size and will prioritize Canadian materials, and that the government is working to scale up supportive housing investments.