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Conservative Party's Proposal to Eliminate Temporary Foreign Worker Program Worries Canadian Farmers

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Canadian farmers rely heavily on temporary foreign workers to pick fruit and labor in agricultural areas, particularly during peak seasons. The proposed elimination of the program by Conservative party Leader Pierre Poilievre would wipe out the labor force, making it impossible for many farms to operate. According to Ben Murray, spokesperson for Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, without access to this essential migrant workforce, many crops could no longer be grown in Canada, and the country would have to rely on farmers in other countries to supply them.

Key Takeaways:

  • The temporary foreign worker program has been in place since the early 1970s and has undergone several changes, including a 2014 reform by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
  • Nearly three-quarters of temporary foreign workers in Canada receive below-average wages, which means they are taking jobs from Canadians who need them most, according to Pierre Poilievre.
  • Pillitteri Estates Winery, a prominent winery in Ontario, relies heavily on temporary foreign workers and has employees who have been working for the farm for 12 to 17 years.
  • The farm also provides its workers with benefits, including protection from extreme weather conditions, and 17-year veteran worker used the money earned to buy and lease land in his country and move his family into the middle class.
  • The Conservative party's proposal would replace the program with a separate program for "legitimately difficult-to-fill agricultural labor" and would issue no new permits "anywhere in Canada."
  • Advocates for migrant workers, such as Justice for Migrant Workers, have criticized the treatment of migrant workers, who are often exposed to harsh working conditions and are 35% more likely to die of heat exhaustion.
  • Statistics Canada revealed a "large increase" in the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada in recent years, but the latest IRCC data showed a decline in new temporary foreign workers arriving in Canada.

Statistics:

  • There are as many as 25,000 temporary foreign workers employed in Ontario's agriculture sector annually.
  • The Conservative party's proposal would eliminate the program, making it impossible for many farms to operate.
  • The number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has increased in recent years, but declined in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
  • New temporary workers arriving in Canada declined by 125,903 between January and June 2025, compared to the same time period in 2024.
  • The Canadian government aims to reduce the share of overall temporary residents to 5% of the total population by the end of 2026, with targets for temporary resident arrivals at 673,650 in 2025, 516,600 in 2026, and 543,600 in 2027.
  • The government has set a limit of 82,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada for 2025, 2026, and 2027.
  • Work permits issued under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program have remained relatively stable over recent years, with seasonal increases occurring from April to June.

Sources:

  • "Conservative party leader wants to eliminate temporary foreign workers program", Toronto Star
  • "Pierre Poilievre wants to eliminate temporary foreign worker program, but will it harm farmers?", CBC News
  • "Temporary foreign worker program: A journey from farm to table", The Conversation
  • "Statistics Canada: Temporary foreign worker program", Statistics Canada
  • "IRCC: Immigration levels plan 2025-27", Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

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