OTTAWA — Employment Minister Jason Kenney gave a spirited defence of the temporary foreign worker program today during an impromptu speech to a business audience.
Kenney says most temporary foreign workers are in highly skilled, well-paying jobs from Canada’s best allies and most developed countries.
He says the vast majority are not low-paid workers from poor countries.
Kenney sparked a political uproar last month after he issued a surprise moratorium on foreign workers in the restaurant industry.
Kenney says the use of temporary foreign workers has become an unacceptable business model in some low-paying industries.
He made the remarks to a conference on North American trade in Ottawa.