What the hell is happening to this country? Ottawa has decided that, starting November 3, employers will no longer need a Labour Market Impact Assessment for qualifying job offers under parts of the Express Entry immigration system. Think about that. Canadians are struggling to find decent-paying jobs. Young people are having trouble getting established. Families are being crushed by the cost of living. And our federal government is removing a requirement designed to assess the need for foreign workers in these immigration applications. Are you kidding me? I’ve spent my life running businesses, employing people, farming and paying taxes. I understand labour shortages. I understand the value of skilled immigration. But I also understand something Ottawa seems to have forgotten. A government’s first responsibility is to the people it represents. If qualified Canadians are available and willing to work, they deserve a fair shot before employers use foreign job offers to support immigration applications. And given the documented problems with fraudulent job offers, why would we remove a layer of scrutiny instead of demanding stronger accountability? Ottawa says it will still verify job offers. Fine. Prove the safeguards work. I’m sick and tired of watching governments demand more from taxpayers while expecting less accountability from themselves. Why the hell am I paying taxes to a government that can’t even demonstrate it’s protecting the interests of Canadian workers? Enough is enough.

Today, the Liberal government announced new Express Entry changes while young Canadians struggle to find jobs and afford homes. At committee, I asked who was consulted. Nobody had an answer. The Liberals keep making immigration decisions. Young Canadians are left paying the price.