A response to last week’s Expositor editorial
To the Expositor:
Recently, the Manitoulin Expositor published an editorial criticizing the Leader of the Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, for calling to end Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program.
I’d like to take this opportunity to share the facts behind this important decision.
The editorial, authored anonymously, suggested that this proposal is merely a tactic of division. In reality, it’s a question of fairness. Today, over 400,000 Canadians have been searching for work for more than two years, the highest level of long-term unemployment since the pandemic.
One major reason? Large businesses are exploiting the TFW program to access cheap labour instead of offering fair wages to Canadians. Conservatives believe it’s time to close this loophole and give Canadian workers a fair shot at the jobs they deserve.
One of the reasons I put my name forward to be your Member of Parliament was to fight for Canada’s next generation. Right now, youth employment is at its lowest in over 25 years. Why? Because companies in the fast-food industry, once a symbol of opportunity for young Canadians, have dramatically shifted their hiring practices.
Not long ago, entry-level jobs helped young Canadians gain vital skills, earn money for school and build a future. In return, employers benefited from a skilled domestic workforce. But under the Liberal government, that balance has been broken. Today, we hear heartbreaking stories of graduates sending out hundreds of resumes without a single callback. Our children and grandchildren deserve better.
The editorial also touched on the importance of TFWs in Canada’s agricultural sector and warned that eliminating the program could lead to higher grocery prices. What it failed to mention is that Conservatives would introduce a distinct, standalone program specifically designed to support agricultural employers facing legitimate labour shortages. We recognize the unique needs of this sector and will ensure it continues to thrive.
The Conservative position is simple: Canadian workers cannot afford an immigration system that drives up unemployment and suppresses wages. Even the Prime Minister has acknowledged this reality. It’s time to prioritize Canadian labour, to buy Canadian and hire Canadian by ending the Temporary Foreign Worker Program once and for all.
That’s what I intend to fight for in Ottawa.
MP Jim Belanger
Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt
