On eve of premier’s meeting, some provinces plead for temporary foreign workers

OTTAWA – The temporary foreign workers controversy could be on the agenda as provincial and territorial premiers gather Friday in Toronto.

The meeting comes months after Ottawa tightened the rules for temporary foreign workers amid fears that foreigners were swiping jobs from Canadians.

Provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta have been quietly urging the government to ease up on the restrictions, with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall making a recent face-to-face appeal to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Boom provinces say their economies are hungry for the type of skilled workers that aren’t readily available in Canada, a problem the Canadian Chamber of Commerce calls a major barrier to competitiveness.

That’s why Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney’s office says provinces and territories should embrace the Canada Job Grant.

Kenney’s office says Canada is facing a paradox of too many Canadians without jobs in an economy of too many jobs without Canadians.