Rebel News Podcast - EZRA LEVANT ｜ Alberta cracks down on TFW abuse as youth unemployment climbs

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00:00:30.000 Alberta steps in on temporary foreign workers as youth unemployment soars.

00:00:43.500 Then we'll get the real details on Alberta's plan to depoliticize the classroom. 0.99

00:00:51.460 I'm Sheila Gunn-Reed. It's April 2nd, 2026, and you're watching The Ezra Levant Show.

00:01:00.000 Shame on you, you censorious bug.

00:01:11.560 One in six young Albertans can't find a job, yet employers are still bringing in labour from outside of the country to fill entry-level positions.

00:01:23.680 But that might change because Alberta, the province of Alberta, is stepping in and it's doing something every other province could do if it chose to.

00:01:33.960 You see, what this is all about is political will.

00:01:38.380 For years, governments have allowed the temporary foreign worker program to expand with very little scrutiny.

00:01:45.660 What started as a targeted tool to address labour shortfalls in the economy has grown into a major part of the labour market in entire sectors.

00:01:56.500 In fact, lobbyists have said that entire business models are built around a steady stream of foreign labour.

00:02:06.320 Now Alberta is putting rules around how that programme operates inside of Alberta's borders.

00:02:11.940 The purpose of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program was to support industries where it is particularly difficult to find labor locally.

00:02:20.620 And speaking from personal experience, as I've spoken with constituents of my own in agriculture, it is very difficult.

00:02:26.780 And so we need to continue to support industries like manufacturing and agriculture where it is difficult to find those positions.

00:02:34.700 But what I can say is that in Q3 of 2021, there were, from the temporary foreign worker perspective, there were 45,000 work permit holders in Alberta.

00:02:47.360 Flash forward to Q1 of 2026, there's just over 160,000.

00:02:52.500 And if you go back to 2025, there was just, we almost reached 180,000.

00:02:58.080 It is clear that in some instances, we have become over-reliant on temporary foreign workers.

00:03:03.700 And as a result, some of the jobs that usually would have gone to our burdens as entry-level positions are now going to temporary workers.

00:03:10.340 And so the spirit, the intent of this program was never to have a temporary foreign worker at a fast food restaurant in downtown Calgary.

00:03:20.100 You know, as we saw, as I mentioned earlier in this conference, there was a lineup for hours of youth just looking for any employment opportunity.

00:03:27.240 And we as a government have a role to play to ensure that they had the best chance possible to get that first work experience.

00:03:34.840 Now, this isn't a symbolic move.

00:03:37.360 Bill 26 gives the province real authority to act here.

00:03:41.720 So let's start with the reality on the ground.

00:03:44.080 Youth unemployment in Alberta is sitting at about 14% right now.

00:03:48.420 Last year, it pushed closer to 16 or 17%.

00:03:52.440 students trying to find summer work are faced with nearly 18 unemployment that's one in five

00:03:58.780 at the same time overall unemployment in calgary is around six to seven percent and in edmonton

00:04:05.560 around seven to eight percent what that means is adults are working young people are struggling

00:04:12.520 to get in the door and that gap matters because the first job is where everything starts habits

00:04:18.840 skills, confidence, independence. Miss that step and the delay follows you for years and it causes

00:04:26.700 a knock-on in the economy. If you have a generation of people who don't know how to work, think about

00:04:31.820 what that does to the GDP in 20 years. Now look at how the system is supposed to work. Employers

00:04:39.600 who want to hire temporary foreign workers have to apply for something called the Labor Market

00:04:44.780 Impact Assessment, an LMIA. It's supposed to prove that they tried to hire Canadians, 1.00

00:04:52.540 but just couldn't. That's the theory anyway. Well, the expectation is that employers will

00:04:57.840 submit to us something akin to a federal labour market impact assessment so we can address

00:05:03.900 the need as well and assess whether it's legitimate or not. That'll all be done through

00:05:08.380 my department and what this comes down to is addressing things like unemployment in alberta

00:05:17.040 making sure that our burdens have first crack at alberta jobs and also making sure that we are

00:05:23.900 addressing the unemployment rate that we've seen among youth particularly with interlevel positions

00:05:27.700 and we've talked about this lots in previous press conferences uh you know people are talking

00:05:34.120 about their kids can't find work we want to address that across the board so make sure that

00:05:38.340 the needs and the demands that businesses are putting forward are legitimate. We saw over the

00:05:42.780 weekend there was a job fair in Calgary that had to line up for hours upon hours only to meet a

00:05:47.600 number of employers. Kids in Alberta want to work. They want to work. We have an incredible workforce

00:05:54.340 in this province and we need to continue to develop it. So it's also incumbent upon businesses

00:05:59.020 as much as possible, though it does come with risk, to reinvest in Alberta's youth to give

00:06:05.200 them that first hiring and employment experience. But we also know that the labor and the employees

00:06:13.680 that we need right now as we continue to attract investment and develop our industries may not be

00:06:18.900 readily available at this exact moment. So we have to look to temporary workers. We have to also look

00:06:23.460 to other permanent residents. And so that's why this program is existing. That's why we're getting

00:06:27.480 more involved as a province. Here's what Bill 26 does in reality. It gives Alberta the power to

00:06:32.840 audit and investigate employers who are using this program. It allows the province to verify

00:06:38.920 whether businesses actually attempted to hire Canadians at all. It creates the ability to 0.87

00:06:44.160 share data with the federal government on suspicious or abusive LMIA applications and

00:06:50.320 it gives Alberta the authority to first license and then penalize or restrict employers operating

00:06:56.660 in the province if they're found to be misusing this system in plain terms if a company says we

00:07:03.520 can't find workers alberta now has the ability to check to see if that's true and if the claim

00:07:09.420 doesn't hold up brother there are consequences because right now that verification is weak or

00:07:15.280 very nearly non-existent and everyone knows it bill 26 sets expectations for conduct and

00:07:23.140 increased transparency, ensuring newcomers to Alberta can have confidence they are not being

00:07:28.900 taken advantage of. Further to this, creating a registry and licensing requirements will give

00:07:35.040 the province more direct information about the labor market, which has often been left up to

00:07:40.360 the federal government for how much or how little they choose to disclose. We want immigration to

00:07:46.720 be used for legitimate economic needs, filling real gaps for in-demand industries. What we have

00:07:54.420 seen to date is a system that bypasses Canadian youth for jobs and chooses to hire four nationals

00:08:02.920 for entry-level positions, and our government wants to know why.

00:08:08.880 On protection, the legislation will prohibit a range of practices such as charging for job

00:08:14.680 offers, misrepresenting employment conditions, keeping workers' official documents, and more.

00:08:21.780 Under the Act, Alberta's government will have authority to investigate, issue compliance

00:08:27.200 orders and administrative penalties, and suspend or cancel registrations and licenses if required.

00:08:34.420 This means timely action to hold bad actors accountable and restore trust in our immigration

00:08:41.960 system building this framework will not happen overnight bill 26 has been designed to allow for

00:08:48.960 a transition over time to the new system as regulations are developed employers and service

00:08:55.660 providers already in the province will have the time to comply with the new requirements

00:09:00.960 ensuring there is no unnecessary disruption while strengthening provincial oversight in the system

00:09:07.120 In closing, I would like to once again highlight my mandate from the Premier, Danielle Smith, which is to use all legal means possible to take more control over immigration with the goal of making it more sustainable and economically focused here in Alberta.

00:09:24.600 As immigration to Alberta continues, it must support our economy, respond to genuine labour market need, and maintain fairness, transparency, and the confidence of Albertans.

00:09:38.460 If passed, the Immigration Oversight Act will do exactly that.

00:09:42.440 Sectors like food service, retail, and hospitality, the program has become widespread.

00:09:47.300 Not rare and not temporary, although the name indicates it is.

00:09:52.100 It's routine.

00:09:53.500 There's a transparency problem here also.

00:09:55.860 The federal government has admitted it does not track how many temporary foreign workers are employed in some of these sectors.

00:10:02.260 So there's no clear picture of scale, no way to measure how much displacement is happening.

00:10:08.280 At the same time, some employers, Tim Hortons, I'm looking at you, are lobbying to increase the share of temporary foreign workers in their workforce to as much as 30%.

00:10:17.280 30%. One in three employees down at the Timmies, Tim Hortons is asking the federal government,

00:10:23.520 based on their lobbying records, to be anything but Canadian. That's not a backup plan. That's

00:10:28.940 a failed business model built on cheap foreign labor, which depresses wages for everybody

00:10:33.960 and damages economic productivity for at least a generation. And good thing, in Alberta,

00:10:40.360 we're stepping in because the consequences are landing here. In housing pressure, strain on

00:10:45.240 healthcare infrastructure stretched way thin and young people competing for fewer and fewer

00:10:49.760 entry-level jobs. And this isn't about shutting down immigration or xenophobia or whatever the

00:10:56.840 crazy thing the left is going to say. It's about enforcing the rules that already exist that the

00:11:01.360 federal government refuses to. The temporary foreign worker program was supposed to be a last

00:11:07.140 resort. Bill 26 here in Alberta is making sure it actually is that last resort. Other provinces

00:11:13.660 are watching this. They have the same youth unemployment numbers. They deal with all the

00:11:19.500 same social pressures. They have similar authority to act though within their jurisdictions.

00:11:25.460 Alberta just happens to be the only one choosing to use it. And that's what makes this all very

00:11:30.560 uncomfortable because now there's a very clear example of how to fix the temporary foreign 1.00

00:11:36.660 worker program. It didn't require a constitutional fight. It didn't require federal permission.

00:11:42.480 it required a decision and guts. The question for everyone else is simple. If Alberta can check 0.98

00:11:50.700 whether employers are telling the truth, why aren't you? Ontario. British Columbia. Why aren't

00:11:58.880 you doing these things? And how long are you willing to leave young people waiting for their

00:12:03.560 first shot at work? Stay with us. Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nikolaides joins us to discuss

00:12:10.780 what is and is not in Bill 25, Alberta's school neutrality law.

00:12:25.180 Minister, tell us exactly what this law will and will not do, because I'm seeing some,

00:12:31.460 I don't want to call it misinformation quite yet online, but, you know, from the activists

00:12:36.920 in the education union, they're saying that this is oppressive and it limits the free speech of

00:12:43.700 teachers. So explain to us exactly what this law will do. Yeah, I have seen some misconceptions,

00:12:50.000 and thank you for the question. Happy to take the opportunity just to provide some clarity.

00:12:55.200 So what it will do is it will require school divisions to, as an authority, as an entire

00:13:04.320 public school division to refrain from making statements about social or political causes,

00:13:13.000 events, or activities. We believe that the job of the school board is to hire teachers,

00:13:19.120 hire educational assistants, and deliver educational programming to kids, not weighed

00:13:24.640 into social or political causes. So that's one thing the bill will do. The other thing the bill

00:13:31.320 will do is make sure that the diverse opinions and voices of students are elevated. We want to

00:13:40.680 create an environment where students feel safe and comfortable to be able to express diverging

00:13:46.560 views about whatever topic is being discussed. The bill in no way limits what can be discussed

00:13:53.520 in a classroom, does no way create any kind of list or criteria about what can be discussed in

00:13:59.080 the classroom, but simply establishes some parameters to say, if you're going to have

00:14:03.900 a conversation about something that might be controversial, make sure, A, that you're

00:14:09.500 encouraging diverse student voices and opinions to come forward, and B, make sure that you

00:14:15.880 as a teacher are being objective and impartial in bringing that subject forward.

00:14:22.680 Now, I know that there's parts of the legislation that relates to flags that are flown at

00:14:28.880 Alberta schools. Tell us exactly what that means. I think there's also mention of singing the

00:14:36.620 national anthem, which I think very rarely happens in many schools across the province these days.

00:14:45.200 Yeah, that's right. Right now, the Education Act does say that the Canadian flag must be

00:14:51.840 displayed at schools. So we're amending that to stipulate that it must be only the Canadian 0.71

00:14:58.040 and the Alberta flag. And the reason we're doing that is because these are important banners and

00:15:05.160 symbols. These are the symbols that bring us together as Albertans and as Canadians. They

00:15:11.300 are what bring people from diverse backgrounds together. They ultimately create a shared identity

00:15:17.640 and it's important that we continue to cultivate that shared identity and having these images and

00:15:23.840 And banners displayed in our schools is important to creating that shared sense of identity.

00:15:29.860 The same goes for the singing of the national anthem.

00:15:33.900 I know some schools do it, as you mentioned, some do it daily, some don't at all, some

00:15:39.140 maybe a little less frequently.

00:15:41.100 So we've established a minimum standard to say, you know, at least once a week.

00:15:46.120 Again, some may go above and beyond that.

00:15:48.800 But the reason we're doing that is for the same purpose, to make sure that we're cultivating

00:15:53.200 shared identity, because it's a shared identity that brings us all together and unites us.

00:15:59.460 Now, are there exceptions or can schools apply for exceptions with regard to the flag or

00:16:07.600 facilitating discussions in the classroom about certain things?

00:16:12.700 Yeah, absolutely. We're also making changes to the Education Act to allow the government to

00:16:17.760 create regulations that would provide for definitions, exemptions, and other types of

00:16:24.740 criteria about other flags that a school division may want to have when it's okay, when it's not

00:16:29.660 okay, that type of thing. So there will be more detail, again, definitions, exemptions, other

00:16:35.660 more nuanced considerations in regulation. It's challenging to put nuances into legislation,

00:16:43.660 because if you want to make a minor modification, then you have to open up the entire bill,

00:16:49.120 go through three readings. So we're leaving all of that detail into a regulation that can

00:16:53.160 be amended a lot faster. So what precipitated this change in legislation? It feels like it

00:17:01.200 came out of nowhere a little bit, but if you have kids in school, if you're like me, you think this

00:17:07.260 is long overdue. So what participated this and what sort of stakeholder engagement did you do?

00:17:13.660 You know, I've had the fortune of serving as Minister of Education since 2023.

00:17:19.800 And since that time, one of the things that I've heard consistently about is concern primarily

00:17:25.880 from parents about things being brought into the classroom that they feel has no place in the

00:17:31.700 classroom. And I've also seen some very specific examples and situations. So one example I remember

00:17:38.500 occurred shortly after I was appointed. There was a Muslim student at a junior high school

00:17:44.060 in Edmonton at a public school who did not show up for school one day. And the following day was

00:17:52.260 questioned by her teacher why she didn't show up. And the day that she didn't show up, the school

00:17:56.260 had some pride activities organized. And the student said that she just didn't feel that it

00:18:02.620 was consistent with her faith. And the teacher berated her and it was actually recorded and

00:18:10.060 subsequently leaked. And the teacher told her that she doesn't belong in Canada and that she

00:18:14.060 doesn't belong here if she doesn't support those kinds of activities. More recently in January of 0.92

00:18:20.020 this year, a teacher in Fort Saskatchewan was recorded berating and mocking people from Fort

00:18:26.440 McMurray and people who work and support the oil and gas sector. That type of behavior is

00:18:32.220 unprofessional and has no place in our classrooms. We need to ensure that we're focused on teaching

00:18:38.340 kids how to think, not what to think. Now, what sort of, I don't want to say

00:18:45.660 enforcement, but that might be the only word that I can use, what sort of enforcement or feedback

00:18:50.920 mechanisms are there for parents who see that some of this politicization of the classroom is still

00:18:58.000 occurring? So there are a number of vehicles that parents can use if they feel that there

00:19:04.820 are things happening in their school that they don't agree with or that are inconsistent with

00:19:11.960 government standards. So first and foremost, of course, they can talk to the school principal.

00:19:16.720 There are mechanisms as well with each school division. They are required by law to have

00:19:24.320 appeal mechanisms and complaint procedures. Above and beyond all of that, in 2023, our government

00:19:31.880 created the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission, which is an independent body that evaluates teacher

00:19:38.540 professional conduct, and individuals can submit complaints to that body if they feel a teacher

00:19:44.780 has violated their professional code of conduct. And lastly, what happens if there is some sort of

00:19:55.140 legal challenge to this law? I know that the Premier has previously invoked the notwithstanding

00:20:01.620 clause on other issues, but we've seen that when this government tries to bring the education

00:20:08.460 system back in line with the people it's intended to serve, i.e. parents and children,

00:20:13.680 The teachers union seems to mobilize en masse against the government and by extension, I guess, parents and children. So, you know, what is the government willing to do to protect this law from being challenged illegally or, for that matter, precipitating a strike?

00:20:33.380 yeah we'll have to see and evaluate how it rolls out of course and then make decisions at that

00:20:40.620 point dependent on what kind of challenge we're facing if any I know that and firmly believe that

00:20:49.520 the vast majority of parents are strongly in support of legislation that will help

00:20:54.780 focus our school divisions on teaching kids how to read, write, and excel in math.

00:21:03.920 I believe the vast majority of parents want our school divisions to be free of political

00:21:09.380 statements and wading into controversial social and political causes. They want their kids to

00:21:17.940 be educated. And, you know, furthermore, there are also pieces in the legislation that have been

00:21:25.560 developed and drafted based on what teachers were asking for. And based on what we've seen,

00:21:31.460 we know there's been a number of concerns about violence and aggression in the classroom.

00:21:38.400 And changes in the bill relate specifically to that concern. We are asking school divisions

00:21:45.040 to develop stronger standards that prohibit violence.

00:21:48.740 We're asking school divisions to ensure that they are developing more orderly classrooms

00:21:54.500 that prioritize student well-being and expected behaviors.

00:21:59.940 These are things that teachers have been asking for as well.

00:22:03.060 So I understand it's difficult to please everybody,

00:22:06.880 but I believe that there are some things in the bill that teachers have been asking for

00:22:11.340 and that they will be happy with, some things they may not be so thrilled with,

00:22:14.560 and that's okay, but I believe we're moving in the right direction.

00:22:18.580 I said that was the last question, but I've got another one.

00:22:21.580 Is there anything in the legislation where it works both ways

00:22:26.340 to protect teachers who may have conscientious objections

00:22:31.800 or moral objections to certain instruction in the classroom?

00:22:37.440 Yeah, absolutely.

00:22:38.200 One of the other changes that we've made limits a school board's ability

00:22:44.560 to direct an employee from taking any kind of a position

00:22:51.160 or view or reaffirming any kind of statement

00:22:58.820 on something that they might disagree with.

00:23:01.320 So it does as well provide additional protection

00:23:04.220 for teacher rights and for their rights

00:23:07.800 to independence of thought and freedom of expression.

00:23:13.100 Minister, thank you.

00:23:15.040 My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

00:23:21.080 Scarlet Grace with Rebel News.

00:23:22.620 I am here in Ottawa at a McEwen gas station for a press conference from Pierre Paliyev,

00:23:28.820 leader of the opposition, leader of the Conservative Party.

00:23:31.920 And at the podium, it says zero gas tax.

00:23:35.440 So I'm assuming that this particular press conference has something to do with the astronomical gas prices behind me.

00:23:44.560 as the tax on the carbon tax just went up again yesterday on April 1st and we'll see what Pierre

00:23:51.780 has to say about that. Since last month gas prices have risen 35% across Canada. Now to be clear and

00:23:58.980 to be fair the recent increase in gas prices is the result of the war in Iran but the long-term

00:24:05.860 high costs in Canada are the result of liberal taxes and if you want proof of that look to the

00:24:12.200 fact that gas prices in Canada today are approximately, if you look behind me at

00:24:19.580 this chart, $1.78 versus $1.50 in the U.S. 28 cents higher in Canadian dollars

00:24:26.540 in Canada versus the U.S. You cannot explain that through global factors

00:24:32.420 alone. That is a result of high liberal taxes and the weak dollar Mr. Carney has

00:24:37.200 given us. That's why today I'm calling on the government to suspend all fuel taxes for the

00:24:44.380 rest of the year. A policy that would save 25 cents a litre, about $20 a fill-up, and $1,200

00:24:52.960 for the average family of four between now and the end of the year. We call on the government to fund

00:24:59.300 This zero-tax-on-gas proposal by cutting wasteful spending

00:25:03.780 end the $90 billion Alto train disaster.

00:25:10.440 Cut back on consultants, bureaucracy, handouts to fake refugees, 0.99

00:25:16.400 foreign aid, and bureaucracy.

00:25:19.320 Get rid of the multi-billion-dollar gun grab

00:25:22.040 that targets law-abiding hunters, farmers, and sports shooters.

00:25:25.960 now we have the opportunity to ask him a question today and I would like to ask

00:25:31.900 him for some clarification on a tweet that he retweeted that came from his

00:25:36.880 shadow Minister of Immigration she put out a tweet that said stop rubber

00:25:41.980 stamping asylum claims from countries like Iran Canadians deserve to be safe

00:25:46.720 he reposted that and added liberal immigration from bad to worse now this

00:25:52.540 This caused a lot of backlash from the Iranian community, expressing frustration with Pierre's

00:25:58.820 lack of distinction between the regime and the IRGC with the Iranian people themselves.

00:26:05.440 And they felt somewhat targeted by that post.

00:26:08.380 So I wanted to get clarification because I'm pretty sure that that was not Pierre's intention

00:26:13.260 and that he knows the distinction between the people of Iran and the regime.

00:26:18.780 And it would be great to get some clarification on that so that the Iranian community can

00:26:23.100 feel good supporting the Conservative Party once more because for the most part they are

00:26:26.840 very conservative and agree with his policies against mass immigration.

00:26:30.900 So it would be a really good thing for Pierre to have the opportunity to clarify that for

00:26:35.400 them.

00:26:36.400 Hi, Scarlett Grace with Rebel News.

00:26:38.660 There was a tweet put out by your shadow minister for immigration on Iran and asylum seekers.

00:26:44.620 And I just wanted clarification if you believe that the Iranian people are net abusers of

00:26:50.060 the asylum system, or if you were being more specific to people associated with the regime

00:26:55.140 in Iran, the IRGC, could you just clarify?

00:26:57.900 No, the people of Iran are not the problem.

00:27:00.680 We welcome Persian people to our country.

00:27:04.800 We've been very blessed to have a very large Persian population come here.

00:27:09.740 Almost all of them are fleeing from this dictatorial and repressive regime, and we're made stronger

00:27:17.140 by that.

00:27:18.720 We are very outraged, though, that IRGC terrorists have been able to get into our country because

00:27:24.220 of the very poor screening that the Liberal government has applied.

00:27:29.820 So you have, for example, according to Global News, you have 700 IRGC officials on our

00:27:39.720 streets. Iranian Canadians are telling me they go to the gym and they see thugs from the Iranian

00:27:46.380 regime who are working out there. They're living in mansions that they paid for using money they

00:27:52.440 stole from the Iranian people. They're terrorizing people in Canada. The police have said that

00:27:57.720 there's a homicide investigation now open because an Iranian human rights activist went missing in

00:28:03.320 Canada. It's now being considered a potential homicide. So what I want to do is stop, especially

00:28:08.720 now we want to make sure that regime thugs do not come in through the weak

00:28:14.220 liberal borders to harass Persians, Jews and other Canadians and what we should do 0.98

00:28:20.220 is find every regime thug who's here as a visitor and we should deport them

00:28:26.400 from Canada to protect our wonderful Persian, Jewish and overall Canadian 0.52

00:28:31.460 populations. Thank you. If you, like Pierre, support our Iranian immigrants who

00:28:36.020 came here the right way and contribute greatly to this country please stand with them in the fight

00:28:41.160 to free their homeland and head to canadiansforafreeiran.com please sign the petition

00:28:46.780 and chip in for our expenses if you can

Rebel News Podcast - April 03, 2026

EZRA LEVANT ｜ Alberta cracks down on TFW abuse as youth unemployment climbs

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