OTTAWA — Federal and B.C. government officials were applying “unusual” and “daily” pressure in early 2012 to encourage the processing of federal permits to bring in temporary foreign workers from China for a controversial proposed northeast B.C. coal mine, according to testimony submitted at a Federal Court of Canada case.

Lisa Smith, an Edmonton-based manager at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “was receiving calls daily from (the) Province of B.C. and CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) regarding status of files,” Vancouver-based HRSDC employee William MacLean wrote in an April 13, 2012 diary entry.

That diary was entered as evidence in the Federal Court challenge by several B.C. unions trying to quash the federal government’s granting of 201 permits for HD Mining’s coal project in northeastern B.C.

MacLean confirmed during the court case that his Edmonton manager wouldn’t normally be contacting him regarding a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) application.

A positive LMO determination is required to bring in a temporary worker; it confirms that there is a need for a temporary worker that no Canadian can fill.

“It was unusual to have the manager from Edmonton speak to me directly,” MacLean said at the Federal Court hearing.

HD Mining’s project near Tumbler Ridge is one of four coal mines that have been proposed by a consortium of primarily Chinese companies who say they can’t find Canadians trained in the so-called “long-wall” mining technique common in China.

Clark made the mines a central component of her jobs plan when she announced in Beijing in November of 2011 that the companies had come up with $1.4 billion to invest in two of the four mines.

Clark didn’t mention in her statement that the companies planned to use Chinese nationals to work on the underground component of the mines. The statement said the two mines “will create over 6,700 jobs and other economic benefits for British Columbians.”

A document released under the Freedom of Information Act to the United Steelworkers said Clark met in China at that time with the coal mining companies.

They raised with her their “challenges with securing work permits,” according to an undated briefing note from Dave Byng, deputy minister the ministry of jobs, tourism and skills training.

The Clark government came under considerable criticism after The Vancouver Sun reported last autumn that the 201 work permits had been granted to HD Mining.

While the B.C. government argued that the TFW program was important for B.C., and defended HD Mining, Clark has since distanced herself from it.

“It’s a federal program. I mean, they decide how they let in temporary foreign workers,” Clark told CKNW’s Bill Good last month.

She said she’s glad the federal government is reviewing the program as a result of the controversy, and that British Columbians “have to have confidence” the program isn’t taking jobs from them. She also said she looks forward to “advising them on how they can make it work” if the Liberals are reelected.