OTTAWA, October 9, 2003 -- Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today the creation of a Caucus Task Force on Seasonal Work. The Task Force will assess the challenges facing seasonal industries, workers, and the communities in which they live; assess existing resources and gaps; and provide advice on areas for possible action in the future."We must ensure that all parts of our economy remain competitive and that our communities remain strong," said the Prime Minister. "Seasonal work is an important part of the Canadian social and economic fabric. In recent years this sector has undergone dramatic shifts and currently faces a number of significant challenges. The Caucus Task Force will examine ways to make better use of existing federal resources in seasonal work dependent communities and to improve collaboration with other orders of government, private and voluntary sector partners."The Task Force will examine: the specific needs of seasonal industries and workers in the area of skills development, life-long learning, and literacy; ways to promote greater economic diversity and stronger local economies, particularly in rural and remote communities across Canada; the supports required to help seasonal work dependent communities to adapt to and seize opportunities provided by the new knowledge-based, global economy; ways of lowering barriers to regional and interprovincial labour mobility; how to align income support programmes such as Employment Insurance and Provincial Social Assistance Programmes to improve income support, while also promoting full, year-round participation in the labour force; ways of addressing the challenges and opportunities offered by temporary foreign workers. The Task Force will deliver its report to the Prime Minister by January 2004.Members of the Prime Minister's Caucus Task Force on Seasonal Work include:Chair: Brent St-Denis, MP (Algoma-Manitoulin)Vice-Chair:The Honourable Pierrette Ringuette-Maltais, Senator (New Brunswick)Members: The Honourable Libby Hubley, Senator (Prince Edward Island)The Honourable Lorna Milne, Senator (Ontario)Dominic LeBlanc, MP (Beauséjour-Petitcodiac)Jeannot Castonguay, MP (Madawaska-Restigouche)John Harvard, MP (Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia)Georges Farrah, MP (Bonaventure-Gaspé-Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Pabok)Nancy Karetak-Lindell, MP (Nunavut)- 30 -
