TFWP reforms a success as applications plummet, says Kenney

A remarkable change from making it too easy to engage Temporary Foreign Workers to the current restrictions, with a 75 percent drop in applications. Lesson learned by the Government on how to use incentives and disincentives:

A year ago, the Conservatives implemented a $275 fee. In June, that fee was hiked to $1,000 for each worker, an expense that essentially placed the temporary foreign worker program out of reach for many small businesses.

Some employers have complained that the new rules are too onerous and make it difficult for them to operate in areas of the country with low unemployment.

Western premiers have also raised concerns about the overhaul, saying their provinces have a pressing need for skilled labour.

Jinny Sims, the NDP’s employment and immigration critic, mocked Kenney’s defence of the overhaul, pointing to the case of 58 electricians in Saskatchewan who said they were laid off from Alliance Energy in May while the company’s temporary foreign workers were kept on.

“The rule of asking employers if they think a Canadian will lose his or her job ‘now or in the foreseeable future’ gives huge wiggle room to employers,” Sims said. “When will the government make real changes and have real penalties?”

Kenney told Sims to bring those allegations to Service Canada “or to the Canada Border Services Agency so that a formal inquiry can be launched.”

TFWP reforms a success as applications plummet, says Kenney (pay wall)