Poilievre and the Conservatives’ Narrative on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) is a Win. Carney and the Liberals’ Pro-Corporate Narrative is a Loss.

I called this out early in 2024, when the government wanted to limit international student visas due to widespread corruption. Now, the narrative is about all Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) and the programs’ complicity in the massive rise in youth unemployment in Canada. I mentioned how companies were just as complicit and corrupt as the schools that saw international students and TFWs as a gravy train toward massive profits. For example, companies hiring international students could receive 50-70% of wage subsidy through the Talent Opportunities Program in Ontario (a Government of Canada Student Work Placement Program partner). Although companies are not receiving direct subsidies with the TFW program, they are still benefiting from the hiring of TFWs over Canadians in many ways, and it is strictly through cost-saving measures through the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment), a document from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC):

1. Lower Wage Pressure: The LMIA requires employers to pay the prevailing wage, but they can structure job postings with specific or obscure requirements that deter Canadian applicants or justify offering wages at the lower end of the scale. TFWs, often in a more vulnerable position due to visa dependency, may be less likely to negotiate or demand higher pay, effectively reducing labor costs.
   
   
2. Avoiding Training Costs: Even if Canadians have the general skills, companies might claim they lack specific experience (e.g., niche software or industry knowledge), avoiding the time and expense of training local hires. The LMIA process allows them to bypass this by certifying a TFW as the “best fit,” saving on onboarding and development expenses.
   
   
3. Long-Term Cost Efficiency: Hiring TFWs on temporary contracts can avoid the higher costs associated with permanent Canadian employees, such as benefits, pension contributions, or severance, which can add up over time.
   
   
4. Exploiting the LMIA Loophole: Companies might use “fake job postings” or overly specific criteria to fail the local hiring test, ensuring an LMIA approval. This isn’t about expertise but about gaming the system to access cheaper labor legally.

This leads us to now, where we have a Conservative government rejecting the TFW program, and the Liberals defending it. It’s strange to see Pierre Poilievre become a reincarnation of former NDP leader Jack Layton, and Carney becoming an even more corporatized Clinton/Bush.

Carney just said he's standing with elite profiteers who want a temporary, foreign, low wage underclass.

Conservatives will abolish the TFW program.

Canadian jobs go to Canadians.

Conservatives stand with Canadian workers. pic.twitter.com/a2jFkJACZ9

— Michelle Rempel Garner (@MichelleRempel) September 3, 2025

This is an area of Brampton & Mississauga. Each circle represents an area that has hired Temporary Foreign Workers, when you click on an individual circle it gives you the amount in one area.
Just that area alone has over 5000 TFW’s
Insane. pic.twitter.com/UPoFc3S6DL

— Ryan Gerritsen🇨🇦🇳🇱 (@ryangerritsen) September 4, 2025

Even liberals like David Moscrop are defending the conservative stance here.

The United Nations (which I am no fan of) has even condemned the Liberal TFW program, calling it a “breeding ground for modern-day slavery”. I will fully admit that the limiting of international students has taken a personal hit on my career as a college professor. Still, suppose we are to return to a proper system that educates the youth of Canada and prepares them for the future. In that case, we need to refocus on supporting Canadian students and youth toward a successful Canadian economy.

Of course, we are hearing the same old rhetoric from the side defending the TFW program: “Canadians just don’t want to do these jobs.” That is an utter falsehood that has been perpetuated since the inception of this TFW program. I stated in my piece on international students that governments and corporations have said these programs help fill gaps in the workforce and will benefit Canada in the future. Over a decade later, they lied, as Canada is in an even worse/precarious position than ever before. I find it ironic that the party of “Elbows Up”, and “Buy Canadian” does not support “Hire Canadian.”

The Conservatives have been clear that they do not want to eliminate TFW for agricultural jobs, but the concern is not agrarian jobs in rural communities; the problem is with jobs in sectors such as hospitality, food service, factory, and, in some cases, government jobs that can go to Canadian citizens for a good wage.

Recently, August saw Canada lose 66,000 jobs, raising national unemployment to 7.1%. Youth unemployment this summer was dismal, and it has been the highest we’ve seen outside of the pandemic in over a decade. The other narrative liberal leftists want to perpetuate is that it is a “racial” thing. It is not; it is a “patch of dirt you were born on” thing. White, Black, Asian, Indigenous, and other races of Canadians deserve jobs over everyone else – whether they be from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Mexico, Great Britain, or any other nation on the planet. In a time where Canada is seriously lacking on the world stage in the economy, GDP, debt per household, government spending, and growth (Note: our neighbors to the south had almost a 4% economic growth, compared to Canada at -1.6), we need to really assess where our country is heading and this needs to be a prime topic of discussion once the House of Commons resumes on September 15th.