Senator Loffreda: Thank you for the answer, Senator Gold.

That is fine, but I’m told that the development of the program has, more or less, come to a halt at the bureaucratic level and that little progress has been made. Beyond helping address labour shortages in Canada, the trusted employer system could have the added benefits of reducing the overall number of applications and allowing the IRCC to redirect its resources to other streams.

Of businesses surveyed, 55% are experiencing revenue loss as a consequence of the delays at the IRCC. This is important. Canada is competing with other countries for high-skilled workers, including the U.K. and Australia.

I will pose my question: Senator Gold, as the government develops the trusted employer system, can you assure us that they are considering a dedicated stream for highly skilled foreign nationals? We need to attract the brightest minds and most skilled workers in order to remain globally competitive.

Hon. Tony Loffreda: My question is also for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Through his mandate letters, the Prime Minister tasked Minister Fraser and Minister Qualtrough with implementing a trusted employer system that will streamline the application process for Canadian companies hiring temporary foreign workers to fill labour shortages.

This is a pressing issue. The Canadian Employee Relocation Council recently conducted a survey, and the results speak for themselves: 88% of employers strongly agree that international talent is important to their organizations. And 81% of employers strongly agree that if ongoing processing, delays and backlogs at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, are not addressed, operations will be negatively impacted within the year.

Senator Gold, can you provide us with an update on this initiative? When will Canadian businesses finally be able to apply to become trusted employers? Businesses are eagerly awaiting an announcement. They need predictability.