John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities:
Statement to the Legislative Assembly


Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009

May 5, 2009

Speaker, I am pleased today to be introducing some very important legislation for Ontario’s workers and employers – and for our economy as a whole.

The proposed Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 would support full labour mobility in Ontario and allow people to work where they find opportunity.  

It would make it easier for certified workers to come to this province and begin to work without long delays.

This is good news for Ontario. More workers would be free to move to find work where opportunities exist or where their skills are needed.  Employers would have a broader pool of qualified candidates and enjoy a simpler process for hiring workers from other parts of Canada.

Speaker, by introducing this legislation today, the McGuinty government is meeting a commitment made last July by all premiers. Premiers, meeting as the Council of the Federation, agreed to amend the Agreement on Internal Trade to ensure certified workers in professions and trades have full labour mobility across Canada. 

At that time, Premier McGuinty said that full labour mobility will help Ontario workers and industries succeed in a challenging economy by strengthening our competitiveness and productivity and removing artificial barriers to opportunity. 

He went on to say that our government aims to implement full labour mobility in Ontario, with only the most necessary exceptions.

In January, the provinces, territories and the federal government all endorsed the amendments to the Agreement on Internal Trade.

And today, we are taking the next important step. We are proposing a bill, which if passed, will meet Ontario’s obligations under this important initiative.

The proposed Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 would establish a Labour Mobility Code, which reflects the mobility requirements under the Agreement on Internal Trade. The code would govern how Ontario regulators, such as the College of Nurses Ontario or Professional Engineers Ontario, deal with people already certified elsewhere in Canada.  

Speaker, I am proud to say that Ontario is one of the first provinces to introduce legislation regarding labour mobility. This underlines our government’s commitment to ensuring Ontario is ready for the gains that will come from attracting skilled workers to the province.

Through the Agreement on Internal Trade, the premiers are preparing Canada for the future. With this proposed legislation, our government is preparing Ontario for the future.

The growth of Ontario's labour force is expected to slow in coming years. Through to 2025, growth is projected at less than 1 per cent each year or about half the growth of the past 25 years. 

As a result, labour mobility will become more important in helping us meet the demand for workers with key skills. 

Our proposed legislation would benefit about 80 regulatory authorities and 300 occupations, including the skilled trades. Doctors, dentists, architects, engineers, plumbers and mechanics are some of the professions that would benefit from rules that make it easier to live and work in Ontario.

Speaker, we have worked and will continue to work with the regulatory authorities to ensure they understand their obligations under the national agreement. We have consulted with them to identify barriers and ways they can be removed.

These barriers include requiring workers from other provinces to have additional material training, testing, experience or assessment before being qualified to practice in Ontario.

Sometimes these barriers have meant long delays in being certified for people who have moved to Ontario, ready to start a new life.

At the same time, we have also recognized the important role regulatory authorities play in helping to ensure public health and safety and to provide consumer protection. 

Our approach has been a balanced one. We have worked with our regulatory authorities to identify a small number of occupations where an exception to full labour mobility is important to protect the public. These exceptions are currently in development, and will be published in the months ahead.

We have also talked to leaders in the skilled trades to help them understand labour mobility and what it means for them.   

However, the majority of our skilled trades workers already understand – and enjoy – the benefits of full labour mobility through the Red Seal program. 

The Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program sets common occupational standards across Canada for the skilled trades. These standards are developed and endorsed by industry.

Workers with the Red Seal can work wherever their skills are needed. They are highly employable because employers know they have the skills and knowledge to get the job done. Ninety per cent of all registered apprentices in Canada and 75 per cent of registered apprentices in Ontario work in Red Seal trades.

The Red Seal is highlighted as a model for labour mobility in the Agreement on Internal Trade and our commitment to the program is clear in the legislation I introduced today.

Workers with the Red Seal will continue to enjoy full labour mobility. 

For those workers in non-Red Seal trades, we are working with other provinces to match trades. Certified workers in trades that have been matched across jurisdictions will also be entitled to full labour mobility.

Speaker, I want to highlight another important element of our proposed Act. Once a worker is certified in one jurisdiction in Canada they will be able to be certified in the same occupation in other jurisdictions in Canada, allowing them to move freely across the country.

It doesn’t matter if they were Canadian-trained or internationally trained workers. This is good news for qualified internationally trained workers.

Governments across Canada are taking these obligations seriously.

Recent changes to the AIT also include penalties which can be imposed on a province or territory for non-compliance.  Jurisdictions that don’t change their rules to improve labour mobility face strong enforcement measures, including penalties ranging from up to $250,000 for the smallest provinces and territories to up to
$5 million for the largest.

Let me underline again – our government is committed to labour mobility. Ontario is currently negotiating an economic partnership agreement with Quebec to eliminate trade barriers and improve labour mobility between both provinces.

This proposed agreement is consistent with the AIT and reflects the high level of commitment both Ontario and Quebec share to ensuring full labour mobility.

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to repeat that the proposed Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 is good news for Ontario.

Full labour mobility will strengthen our productivity and competitiveness. It will help us to meet changing labour market needs in the future. 

And importantly, it supports the right of all Canadians to live and work where they want in this country.

Thank you.