Posted on 03/28/2006 11:59:32 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Mexican President Vincente Fox wants Canada to consider opening its doors to more unskilled Mexican workers to deal with a looming labour shortage.
Fox told The Globe and Mail in an exclusive interview that Canada should greatly expand its current temporary work program for agricultural workers from Mexico.
Canadian farms are allowed to recruit foreign workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, as long as they can't find Canadians to harvest their crops.
Fox said he wants that agreement expanded to include plant nurseries, construction, restaurants services and golf courses to deal with labour shortages from Canada's aging population.
He said Mexican workers should be able to sign up with Canadian employers for specific time periods. It's not clear how long he is suggesting, but presumably it would be longer than for migrant farm workers.
About 7,000 Mexican workers came to farms in Ontario last year. Many of them worked in Leamington, Ont., where the Mexican government has now set up a consulate.
Fox granted the interview to The Globe ahead of a summit this week in Cancun with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President George Bush.
The Mexican president is already backing a large-scale "guest worker" program in the United States, where the immigrant issue has heated up over the past few days.
On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation that clears the way for illegal aliens in the country to apply for U.S. citizenship without first having to return home.
It also approved a new temporary program allowing entry for 1.5 million workers seeking jobs in the agriculture industry
As well, the committee voted down proposed criminal penalties on immigrants to be found illegally in the country.
Over the weekend and on Monday, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities demanding Congress abandon legislation passed in the House that would make being an undocumented immigrant a felony.
Doesn't Canada give preference to Commonwealth countries like Jamaica where they have plenty of skilled agricultural workers.
What the hell, does he want mexico all to himself.
Fox is so "humane" in the way he so eagerly wants to get rid of his own people.
Is there any world leader so eager to get rid of his own people?
For Mexicans, VISA are not required to enter Canada, I don't understand why all of the fuss?
Is Vicente Fox an arrogant ass or is he just stark,raving mad?
Fox isn't worried that everyone wants out of Mexico? He's the President of that country!
It's interesting that instead of trying to entice Mexicans to stay there he wants to ship them out.
Why doesn't he spend his time trying to improve conditions in his own country rather than farm out his countrymen?
Um......where is the logic behind a country's leader pimping out his citizens to other countries?
Wouldn't it really suck to be the leader of a nation that has to go around the world pimping their people off to other nations because they are fleeing by the millions?
Who cleans his bathrooms and weeds his garden??? (reference to protestors quoted on the news yesterday)
He's sending everyone away. Maybe he'll start selling high end vacation condos in Mexico to gentrify it in 10 years.
I'm so confused....
Pinz
Fox is one big pimp.
We've trained him too well.
no - just him, and the oil and drug billionaires.
Because, that costs money that the upper class doesn't want to spend.
Different rules for visiting than for working.
yeah George Bush. Cause after he and Congress let the illegal invaders take over the U.S., it is guaranteed that we will have to leave.
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