The federal government’s announcement that it will allow more temporary foreign workers for jobs in rural areas is meeting resistance from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan who say they were not consulted.
The federal government will allow employers in rural areas to take up to 10 per cent of their workforce under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.
“As B.C. was not consulted prior to the announcement of federal policy change, we need to consider it carefully and do analysis of the federal announcement before deciding whether or not the province will opt in,” a spokesperson at B.C.’s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said.
Premier David Eby said “the idea that the solution to the challenges we face is an expansion of this program is, frankly, a bit frustrating.”
The provinces have often asked for an increase of the program that lets them choose the candidates, Last year the federal government cut that number in half.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is among the groups that have lobbied hard for more temporary foreign workers to be brought into the country. It said rural employers in particular are struggling with staffing issues because Canadians are unwilling to move to remote regions for work.
