The Framing of Temporary Foreign Workers in Canadian Parliamentary Debates

This article examines the framing of the temporary foreign worker program (TFWP) in Canadian political discourse using a qualitative content analysis of parliamentary speeches. It uncovers shifts and continuities in framing by three major federal political parties between 2006 and 2022. The study examines the impact of ideology, proximity to government, and events on framing of the TFWP. The findings show that while all are to some extent relevant, ideology had the biggest impact on framing. The Conservatives and Liberals were reasonably consistent in framing the TFWP as an economic resource, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) was more likely to frame it as an economic threat while also advocating for enhanced rights for temporary workers. Occasional shifts were prompted by events such as the 2013–14 scandal when all three parties made more use of the economic threat frame, but once this subsided, all three reverted to their previous positions. Overall, this research reveals the exclusionary nature of the TFWP and a political discourse that focuses on the economic utility of temporary foreign workers.