Pro-temporary foreign worker group endorses Christy Clark

By Amy Chen

Christy Clark is the “greatest friend of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in British Columbia” and her BC Liberals deserve four more years in power, according to a group of Temporary Foreign Worker Program supporters who are endorsing the incumbents at tomorrow’s British Columbia provincial election.

The group Canadians Appreciating Temporary Foreign Workers highlights a number of Christy Clark’s “achievements” as justification for their endorsement.

BC Liberal government pushed the federal government on a daily basis to “expedite” work permits for 200 miners to come to China-based HD Mining’s coal mine, allowing HD Mining to run an exclusively foreign worker operation^[1]http://bcfed.ca/news/releases/bc-liberal-government-pushed-expedited-hd-mining-temporary-foreign-work-permits-0, the group points out.

The Christy Clark government signed a deal with China allowing temporary foreign workers into Canada to work in the LNG industry^[2]http://www.vancouversun.com/China+agree+allow+foreign+workers+help+build+industry/10063770/story.html, the Canadians Appreciating Temporary Foreign Workers reminds British Columbians.

Christy Clark also wants to bring 3,000 temporary foreign workers from India to work in the LNG industry^[3]http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/india-workers-offered-b-c-s-lng-jobs-by-christy-clark-says-ndp-1.2817279, the group notes.

“Rachel Notley’s NDP government in Alberta is severely clamping down on the program,” the group says in a Facebook post. “A John Horgan NDP government will put British Columbians first, and as business owners, we simply can’t have that.”

“We strongly feel that Christy Clark shares CFIB president Dan Kelly’s sentiment that Canadian workers lack a work ethic and Canada simply needs hardworking temporary foreign workers to prosper,” Canadians Appreciating Temporary Foreign Workers concluded. “A vote for Christy Clark is a vote for the temporary foreign worker program, and with the blood sweat and tears of those migrant workers, a more prosperous British Columbia.”

BC NDP has promised in their party platform^[4]https://www.bcndp.ca/sites/default/files/platform-book-v2-updated.pdf to tighten regulations around the temporary foreign worker program to put British Columbians first while at the same time protecting migrant worker from abuse.

John Horgan’s party has vowed to bring in a Temporary Foreign Worker registry similar to Manitoba’s to give government the information it needs to protect workers, and end the collection of illegal recruitment fees from foreign workers by requiring recruiters and employers to register to recruit temporary foreign workers.