National

Ottawa must cancel or significantly reform temporary foreign worker program, says Eby

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Sep, 2025 08:53 AM

British Columbia Premier David Eby says the temporary foreign worker program should "be cancelled or significantly reformed" because the province can't have an immigration system that takes young people's jobs, while filling up homeless shelters and food banks.

Eby says one reason B.C. is facing "significant fiscal headwinds" is because of "very high unemployment rates" among young people, linked to both the temporary foreign worker program and the international student program.

He says B.C. is willing to "convene provinces that are interested in this issue" to have a "serious, grown-up" conversation about immigration in Canada and its impact on critical infrastructure, such as housing and schools.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also said Canada should cancel the program with exceptions for difficult-to-fill agricultural jobs, and Eby says it's a "very timely issue" for the federal government to consider.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that his government would review the program but also added that it "has a role to play."

Eby, who was in Surrey, B.C. for a separate announcement, says Carney's government has taken "some good steps to rein in the excesses" of the program but Ottawa needs to do more.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Quebec caps international students but is hazy on numbers

Quebec is taking steps to cut the number of international students in the province, but can't say by how many. The government will issue a maximum of around 124,000 acceptance certificates to foreign students this year, down from more than 156,000 last year. The measure targets private colleges that the government has said are using education as a business model to sell citizenship.

Quebec caps international students but is hazy on numbers

Polls suggest a close race as federal election approaches

Multiple polls now suggest the next federal election — which could begin in a matter of weeks — will be a tight race. At least one major pollster has the Liberals in the lead and ahead of the Conservatives for the first time in nearly four years.

Polls suggest a close race as federal election approaches

Canada, Germany working on diversifying trade in face of U.S. threats

Canadian companies and diplomats are working with their European colleagues to find ways to diversify trade as the U.S. threatens to impose steep tariffs. Germany's Ambassador to Canada Tjorven Bellmann says European ambassadors in Ottawa have been in touch with corporations on both sides of the Atlantic to discuss how they can boost trade.

Canada, Germany working on diversifying trade in face of U.S. threats

Supreme Court of Canada moving away from social media platform X

The Supreme Court of Canada says it's moving away from the social media platform X. In an apparent farewell post to its more than 45,000 subscribers, the top court says it will focus its communication efforts on other platforms.

Supreme Court of Canada moving away from social media platform X

The Tories say Carney is being 'sneaky' about his assets. What do the rules say?

In a series of press conferences in recent weeks, the federal Conservatives have demanded that Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney comply with the conflict of interest rules that apply to members of Parliament and cabinet ministers. Carney, who is neither an MP nor a member of cabinet, has said he will comply with the rules when they apply to him.

The Tories say Carney is being 'sneaky' about his assets. What do the rules say?

Liberals advance voting begins, Mark Carney still frontrunner

With the debates now done, Liberal party members can start casting advance ballots today to select their next leader a little under two weeks from now. They can cast their ranked ballot choices by mail or in some instances by phone, and each electoral district counts for 100 points in the race.