Poilievre proposal to scrap temporary foreign worker program gets mixed reaction in B.C.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for an end to the federal government's temporary foreign worker program.

Claiming temporary foreign workers are making it hard for young people to find work, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a call Wednesday for the federal government to shut down the program.

“The principle is very simple,” Poilievre said during a Wednesday news conference. “Canadian jobs for Canadian workers.”

But multiple sectors – including the restaurant and hotel industries – are heavily reliant on temporary foreign workers.

And they argue Canadians simply aren’t applying for many of the positions in those areas.

“Really bad policy on (Poilievre’s) part,” B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association President and CEO Ian Tostenson told CTV News in an interview on Wednesday.

“He doesn’t understand the industry. We are 20,000 people short in our industry in (terms of) cooks and chefs, and there’s not a hope we have enough domestic population to satisfy that for today and years to come.”

Smaller communities – especially in B.C.’s north, like Terrace – struggle to attract workers in specific sectors. Those places are also pushing back against the idea, claiming some businesses would shut. Hotel housekeepers, for example, in some communities, are almost entirely from the temporary foreign worker program.

“We here in northwest B.C., Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitimat, believe these cuts – and if the program were to be eliminated – would disproportionately hurt rural British Columbia, and especially our little corner,” City of Terrace lands and economic development manager Michael Pucci told CTV News on Wednesday.

But Poilievre’s proposal has supporters as well, including those who believe the program pushes down wages for everyone.

“Wages is number one,” said Ironworkers Local 97 business manager Doug Parton.

While saying he sympathized with foreign workers themselves, Parton said they push salaries down for all workers.

“Wages need to come to the forefront. Whether we cancel this or not, Liberal or Conservative government or even an NDP government, I mean, as far as I’m concerned, Ottawa has known about this for 15 years – all parties. It’s been their dirty little secret.”

While cabinet is discussing the program, Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated on Wednesday he has no plans to end it.