Conservative Member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner has strongly criticized the federal government's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), calling its spending "unconscionable." According to newly released data, the program has cost taxpayers $1.6 billion over the past five years, with a net cost of $509 million.
Half a billion reasons for concern
Rempel Garner, who serves as Shadow Minister for Immigration, stated that the program suppresses wage growth, fosters poor working conditions, stifles productivity, and eliminates entry-level job opportunities for Canadians. She argued that the program has masked structural economic weaknesses, particularly as Canada faces a recession.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called for the program to be shut down entirely. Rempel Garner echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the program subsidizes companies with what she described as "indentured labour."
Impact on youth unemployment
Jamil Jivani, Conservative MP for Bowmanville-Oshawa North, launched a petition to end the TFWP, citing its contribution to unsustainable immigration levels and its negative effects on Canadian workers. Rempel Garner noted that as of April, there were 442,000 unemployed youth in Canada, indicating that youth unemployment has risen to critical levels.
She further highlighted rampant abuses within the program, calling it "immoral" for the Liberals to underwrite its operation at such a high cost. Conservatives propose a standalone program for legitimately hard-to-fill seasonal agri-food and fisheries jobs.
A call for a new deal
Rempel Garner urged the federal government to act decisively to restore a fair deal for Canadian workers. She recommended eliminating the program immediately and refocusing on labour mobility and skills training for unemployed and underemployed Canadians. Instead of issuing 215,000 new foreign work permits this year, she argued, the government should prioritize Canadian workers.
"With Canada's economy slipping into a recession and social divisions deepening, the federal government must act decisively to restore a fair deal for Canadian workers," Rempel Garner concluded.
