“A bit late, eh?”: Internet reacts after Trudeau encourages businesses to hire Canadian workers

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In an announcement today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will tighten the rules on Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program and also encouraged businesses to hire more Canadian workers.

Addressing reporters at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax on Monday, Trudeau said that the TFW program was adjusted two years ago because of labour shortages caused by the pandemic.

“That’s what the business community wanted, that’s what the business community was asking for, and at that moment in time, those changes helped,” he said.

“They helped the economy and they helped businesses make it through a challenging moment in our economic recovery. But today’s economy is very different from what it was two years ago.”

Trudeau went on to explain that as inflation has now come down and employment is now higher Canada no longer needs “as many temporary foreign workers.”

“We need Canadian businesses to invest in training and technology and not increasing their reliance on low-cost labour,” he said.

“It’s not fair to Canadians struggling to find a good job, and it’s not fair to those temporary foreign workers, some of whom are being mistreated and exploited.”

The prime minister added that the rule-tightening for low-wage temporary foreign workers wouldn’t apply to certain industries like healthcare, construction and food security. He also mentioned that changes could be coming to the high-wage stream of the program.

“So to those who would complain about the worker shortages, here’s my message: There’s no better time to hire and invest in Canadian workers,” added Trudeau.

Canadians react to Trudeau

Many Canadians reacted to Trudeau’s statement, as he also published a post on X about his decision.

“We’re reducing the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers in Canada,” he wrote.

“The labour market has changed. Now is the time for our businesses to invest in Canadian workers and youth.”

“It’s a positive move, but this should have been done earlier. Investing in Canadian workers and youth is crucial for long-term growth and stability in our labour market,” said one X user.

“Investing in local talent is the right move—let’s build a stronger workforce from within. Canadian potential is limitless!” said another.

“This should have been done earlier. But it’s the right decision. Glad it’s happening,” said Tyler Meredith, who previously served as Trudeau’s lead economic advisor.

Some said Trudeau’s announcement is “too late.”

“Standing amid the charred remains of a once-lush forest: We’re reducing the number of uncontrolled bonfires we’re allowing in Canada. The ecosystem has changed, and now is the time to preserve this great natural space,” wrote Globe and Mail columnist Robyn Urback.

Gabrielle Peters, a Canadian writer and policy analyst, pointed to a recent UN report that slammed Canada’s TFW program for being a “breeding ground” for contemporary slavery.

“How about a statement of gratitude to these temporary foreign workers and immigrants who got us through the worst labour crunch in our history? They weren’t a burden,” added another X user.

In March, Immigration Minister Marc Miller highlighted that Canada’s temporary resident volume has “increased significantly,” reaching up to 2.5 million or 6.2% of the population in 2023.

Miller said the federal government plans to decrease the temporary resident population by 5% over the next three years.

In his address today, Trudeau also mentioned “ongoing conversations” to further tighten immigration into the country.

“This fall, we’ll be presenting for the first time an Immigration Levels Plan that doesn’t just talk about permanent residents, but also talks about temporary residents, whether that’s foreign workers or others, ” he stated.

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