Mr. Martin:

Section 24 provides for the surrender of the employment permit to the Minister within four weeks of the date of the cessation or termination of the employment concerned. A person who fails to comply may be guilty of an offence. The section is necessary since were the permit not surrendered within that time period, there would be a significant risk of its falling into other hands, thereby facilitating abuse or fraudulent use.

Mr. Martin:

It should also be noted that subsection (3) includes defences enshrined in the Bill, including that the person took reasonable steps to surrender the permit that may be adduced by the defendant should he or she fail to meet the four-week deadline. Essentially, it provides a check and ensures we have a system in place that helps avoid potential abuse. The employees should return the permits within a reasonable timeframe. If there are genuine reasons why that did not happen, the Bill covers them too.