Rebel News - EZRA LEVANT | Alberta cracks down on TFW abuse as youth unemployment climbs
Aired: 2026-04-03
Duration: 28:48


=== Protecting Alberta Jobs First (11:56) ===

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[00:00:39]  Alberta steps in on temporary foreign workers as youth unemployment soars.
[00:00:43]  Then we'll get the real details on Alberta's plan to depoliticize the classroom.
[00:00:51]  I'm Sheila Gunn Reid.
[00:00:52]  It's April 2nd, 2026, and you're watching The Ezra Levant Show.
[00:01:00]  Shame on you, you censorious thug.
[00:01:12]  One in six young Albertans can't find a job.
[00:01:15]  Yet employers are still bringing in labor from outside of the country to fill entry level positions.
[00:01:23]  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.
[00:01:34]  You see, what this is all about is political will.
[00:01:38]  For years, governments have allowed the temporary foreign worker program to expand with very little scrutiny.
[00:01:46]  What started as a targeted tool to address labor shortfalls in the economy has grown into a major part of the labor market in entire sectors.
[00:01:56]  In fact, lobbyists have said that entire business models are built around a steady stream of foreign labor.
[00:02:06]  Now, Alberta is putting rules around how that program operates inside of Alberta's borders.
[00:02:12]  The purpose of the temporary foreign worker program was to support industries where it is particularly difficult to find labor locally.
[00:02:20]  And speaking from personal experience, as I've spoken with constituents of my own in agriculture, it is very difficult.
[00:02:26]  And so we need to continue to support industries like manufacturing and agriculture where it is difficult to find those positions.
[00:02:35]  But what I can say is that in Q3 of 2021, there were, from the temporary foreign worker perspective, 45,000 work permit holders in Alberta.
[00:02:47]  Flash forward to Q1 of 2026, there's just over 160,000.
[00:02:52]  And if you go back to 2025, there was just, we almost reached 180,000.
[00:02:58]  It is clear that in some instances, we have become over reliant on temporary foreign workers.
[00:03:04]  And as a result, some of the jobs that usually would have gone to Albertans as entry level positions are now going to temporary workers.
[00:03:10]  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.
[00:03:19]  You know, as we saw, as I mentioned earlier in this conference, there was a lineup for hours.
[00:03:24]  Of youth just looking for any employment opportunity.
[00:03:27]  And we as a government have a role to play to ensure that they have the best chance possible to get that first work experience.
[00:03:34]  Now, this isn't a symbolic move.
[00:03:37]  Bill 26 gives the province real authority to act here.
[00:03:41]  So let's start with the reality on the ground.
[00:03:44]  Youth unemployment in Alberta is sitting at about 14% right now.
[00:03:48]  Last year, it pushed closer to 16% or 17%.
[00:03:53]  Students trying to find summer work are faced with nearly 18% unemployment.
[00:03:57]  That's one in five.
[00:03:59]  At the same time, overall, unemployment in Calgary is around 6% to 7%, and in Edmonton, around 7% to 8%.
[00:04:07]  What that means is adults are working, young people are struggling to get in the door.
[00:04:13]  And that gap matters because the first job is where everything starts habits, skills, confidence, independence.
[00:04:22]  Miss that step, and the delay follows you for years, and it causes a knock on in the economy.
[00:04:28]  If you have a generation of people who don't know how to work, think about what That does to the GDP in 20 years.
[00:04:36]  Now, look at how the system is supposed to work.
[00:04:39]  Employers who want to hire temporary foreign workers have to apply for something called a Labor Market Impact Assessment, an LMIA.
[00:04:48]  It's supposed to prove that they tried to hire Canadians but just couldn't.
[00:04:53]  That's the theory, anyway.
[00:04:56]  Well, the expectation is that employers will submit to us something akin to a federal labor market impact assessment so we can address the need as well and assess whether it's legitimate or not.
[00:05:07]  That will all be done through my department.
[00:05:11]  And what this comes down to is addressing things like unemployment in Alberta, making sure that Albertaans have first crack at Alberta jobs, and also making sure that we are addressing the unemployment rate that we've seen among youth, particularly with interlevel positions.
[00:05:28]  And we've talked about this lots in previous press conferences.
[00:05:32]  You know, people are talking about their kids can't find work.
[00:05:36]  We want to address that across the board, so make sure that the needs and the demands that businesses are putting forward are legitimate.
[00:05:42]  We saw over the weekend there was a job fair in Calgary that had to line up for hours upon hours only to meet a number of employers.
[00:05:50]  Kids in Alberta want to work.
[00:05:52]  They want to work.
[00:05:53]  We have an incredible workforce in this province and we need to continue to develop it.
[00:05:57]  So it's also incumbent upon businesses as much as possible.
[00:06:01]  Though it does come with risk to reinvest in Alberta's youth to give them that first hiring and employment experience.
[00:06:08]  But we also know that the labor and the employees that we need right now, as we continue to attract investment and develop our industries, may not be readily available at this exact moment.
[00:06:20]  So we have to look to temporary workers.
[00:06:22]  We have to also look to other permanent residents.
[00:06:24]  And so that's why this program is existing.
[00:06:26]  That's why we're getting more involved as a province.
[00:06:28]  Here's what Bill 26 does in reality it gives Alberta the power to audit and investigate employers.
[00:06:35]  Who are using this program?
[00:06:37]  It allows the province to verify whether businesses actually attempted to hire Canadians at all.
[00:06:42]  It creates the ability to share data with the federal government on suspicious or abusive LMIA applications.
[00:06:50]  And it gives Alberta the authority to first license and then penalize or restrict employers operating in the province if they're found to be misusing this system.
[00:07:00]  In plain terms, if a company says, we can't find workers, Alberta now has the ability to check to see if that's true.
[00:07:08]  And if the claim doesn't hold up, brother, there are consequences because right now that verification is weak or very nearly non existent, and everyone knows it.
[00:07:19]  Bill 26 sets expectations for conduct and increased transparency, ensuring newcomers to Alberta can have confidence they are not being taken advantage of.
[00:07:30]  Further to this, creating a registry and licensing requirements will give the province more direct information about the labor market.
[00:07:38]  Which has often been left up to the federal government for how much or how little they choose to disclose.
[00:07:45]  We want immigration to be used for legitimate economic needs, filling real gaps for in demand industries.
[00:07:53]  While we have seen to date, what we have seen rather to date is a system that bypasses Canadian youth for jobs and chooses to hire foreign nationals for entry level positions, and our government wants to know why.
[00:08:09]  On protection, the legislation will prohibit a range of practices such as charging for job offers, misrepresenting employment conditions, keeping workers' official documents, and more.
[00:08:21]  Under the Act, Alberta's government will have authority to investigate, issue compliance orders and administrative penalties, and suspend or cancel registrations and licenses if required.
[00:08:34]  This means timely action to hold bad actors accountable and restore trust in our immigration system.
[00:08:44]  Building this framework will not happen overnight.
[00:08:46]  Bill 26 has been designed to allow for a transition over time to the new system.
[00:08:52]  As regulations are developed, employers and service providers already in the province will have the time to comply with the new requirements, ensuring there is no unnecessary disruption while strengthening provincial oversight in the system.
[00:09:07]  In closing, I would like to once again highlight my mandate from the Premier, Danielle Smith, which is to use all legal means possible.
[00:09:17]  To take more control over immigration with the goal of making it more sustainable and economically focused here in Alberta.
[00:09:26]  As immigration to Alberta continues, it must support our economy, respond to genuine labor market need, and maintain fairness, transparency, and the confidence of Albertans.
[00:09:38]  If passed, the Immigration Oversight Act will do exactly that.
[00:09:42]  Sectors like food service, retail, and hospitality, the program has become widespread, not rare, and Not temporary, although the name indicates it is, is routine.
[00:09:53]  There's a transparency problem here also.
[00:09:55]  The federal government has admitted it does not track how many temporary foreign workers are employed in some of these sectors.
[00:10:02]  So there's no clear picture of scale, no way to measure how much displacement is happening.
[00:10:08]  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%.
[00:10:18]  One in three employees down at the Timmies.
[00:10:21]  Tim Hortons is asking the federal government, based on their lobbying records, to be anything but Canadian.
[00:10:27]  That's not a backup plan.
[00:10:28]  That's a failed business model built on cheap foreign labor, which depresses wages for everybody and damages economic productivity for at least a generation.
[00:10:38]  And good thing in Alberta, we're stepping in because the consequences are landing here in housing pressure, strain on health care, infrastructure stretched way thin, and young people competing for fewer and fewer entry level jobs.
[00:10:51]  And this isn't about shutting down immigration or xenophobia or whatever the crazy thing the left is going to say.
[00:10:58]  It's about enforcing the rules that already exist that the federal government refuses to.
[00:11:03]  The temporary foreign worker program was supposed to be a last resort.
[00:11:08]  Bill 26 here in Alberta is making sure it actually is that last resort.
[00:11:13]  Other provinces are watching this.
[00:11:15]  They have the same youth unemployment numbers, they deal with all the same social pressures.
[00:11:21]  They have similar authority to act, though, within their jurisdictions.
[00:11:25]  Alberta. Just happens to be the only one choosing to use it.
[00:11:28]  And that's what makes this all very uncomfortable.
[00:11:31]  Because now there's a very clear example of how to fix the temporary foreign worker program.
[00:11:37]  It didn't require a constitutional fight, it didn't require federal permission.
[00:11:43]  It required a decision and guts.
[00:11:46]  The question for everyone else is simple If Alberta can check whether employers are telling the truth, why aren't you, Ontario?

=== Building Shared School Identity (05:11) ===

[00:11:56]  British Columbia.
[00:11:58]  Why aren't you doing these things?
[00:12:00]  And how long are you willing to leave young people waiting for their first shot at work?
[00:12:05]  Stay with us.
[00:12:06]  Alberta Education Minister Dimitrios Nicolaitis joins us to discuss what is and is not in Bill 25, Alberta's school neutrality law.
[00:12:26]  Tell us exactly what this law will and will not do because I'm seeing some, I don't want to call it misinformation quite yet online, but you know, from the activists in the education union, they're saying that this is oppressive and it limits the free speech of teachers.
[00:12:44]  So, explain to us exactly what this law will do.
[00:12:48]  Yeah, I have seen some misconceptions, and thank you for the question.
[00:12:52]  Happy to take the opportunity just to provide some clarity.
[00:12:55]  What it will do is it will require school divisions to, as an authority, as an entire public school division, to refrain from making statements about social or political causes, events, or activities.
[00:13:15]  We believe that the job of a school board is to hire teachers, hire educational assistants, and deliver educational programming to kids, not weighed into social or political causes.
[00:13:27]  That's what the one thing the bill will do.
[00:13:30]  The other thing the bill will do is make sure that the diverse opinions and voices of students are elevated.
[00:13:40]  We want to create an environment where students feel safe and comfortable to be able to express diverging views about whatever topic is being discussed.
[00:13:50]  The bill, in no way, limits what can be discussed in a classroom, does no way create any kind of list or criteria about what can be discussed in a classroom.
[00:14:00]  But simply establishes some parameters to say if you're going to have a conversation about something that might be controversial, make sure A, that you're encouraging diverse student voices and opinions to come forward, and B, make sure that you as a teacher are being objective and impartial in bringing that subject forward.
[00:14:23]  Now, I know that there's parts of the legislation that relate to flags that are flown at Alberta schools.
[00:14:30]  Tell us exactly what that means.
[00:14:33]  I think there's also Mention of singing the national anthem, which I think very rarely happens in many schools across the province these days.
[00:14:45]  Yeah, that's right.
[00:14:46]  Right now, the Education Act does say that the Canadian flag must be displayed at schools.
[00:14:52]  So, we're amending that to stipulate that it must be only the Canadian and the Alberta flag.
[00:15:00]  And the reason we're doing that is because these are important banners and symbols.
[00:15:07]  These are the symbols that bring us together as Albertans and as Canadians.
[00:15:11]  They are what bring people from diverse backgrounds together.
[00:15:14]  They ultimately create a shared identity.
[00:15:18]  And it's important that we continue to cultivate that shared identity and having these images and banners displayed in our schools is important to creating that shared sense of identity.
[00:15:29]  The same goes for the singing of the national anthem.
[00:15:34]  I know some schools do it, as you mentioned, some do it daily, some don't at all, some maybe a little less frequently.
[00:15:41]  So we've established a minimum standard to say, you know, at least once a week.
[00:15:46]  Again, some may go above and beyond that.
[00:15:48]  But the reason we're doing that is for the same purpose to make sure that we're cultivating a shared identity because it's a shared identity that brings us all together and unites us.
[00:15:59]  Now, are there exceptions or can schools apply for exceptions with regard to the flag or facilitating discussions in the classroom about certain things?
[00:16:12]  Yeah, absolutely.
[00:16:13]  We're also making changes to the Education Act to allow the government to create regulations.
[00:16:19]  That would provide for definitions, exemptions, and other types of criteria about other flags that a school division may want to have when it's okay, when it's not okay, that type of thing.
[00:16:31]  So there will be more detail again, definitions, exemptions, other more nuanced considerations in regulation.
[00:16:39]  It's challenging to put nuances into legislation because if you want to make a minor modification, then you have to open up the entire bill, go through three readings.
[00:16:50]  So we're leaving all of that detail into a regulation that can be amended a lot.
[00:16:54]  Faster.
[00:16:54]  So, what precipitated this change in legislation?
[00:17:00]  It feels like it came out of nowhere a little bit, but if you have kids in school, if you're like me, you think this is long overdue.

=== Empowering Parents and Teachers (06:05) ===

[00:17:08]  So, what participated in this, and what sort of stakeholder engagement did you do?
[00:17:14]  You know, I've had the fortune of serving as Minister of Education since 2023.
[00:17:19]  And since that time, one of the things that I've heard consistently about is concern, primarily from parents, about things being brought into the classroom that they feel has no place in the classroom.
[00:17:32]  And I've also seen some very specific examples and situations.
[00:17:36]  So, one example I remember occurred shortly after I was appointed.
[00:17:40]  There was a Muslim student at a junior high school in Edmonton at a public school.
[00:17:46]  Who did not show up for school one day and the following day was questioned by her teacher why she didn't show up.
[00:17:54]  And the day that she didn't show up, the school had some pride activities organized.
[00:17:59]  And the student said that she just didn't feel that it was consistent with her faith.
[00:18:04]  And the teacher berated her, and it was actually recorded and subsequently leaked.
[00:18:11]  And the teacher told her that she doesn't belong in Canada and that she doesn't belong here if she doesn't support those kinds of activities.
[00:18:18]  More recently, in January of this year, a teacher in Fort Saskatchewan was recorded berating and mocking people from Fort McMurray and people who work and support the oil and gas sector.
[00:18:30]  That type of behavior is unprofessional and has no place in our classrooms.
[00:18:35]  We need to ensure that we're focused on teaching kids how to think, not what to think.
[00:18:42]  Now, what sort of, I don't want to say enforcement, but that might be the only word that I can use, what sort of Enforcement or feedback mechanisms are there for parents who see that some of this politicization of the classroom is still occurring?
[00:18:59]  So, there are a number of vehicles that parents can use if they feel that there are things happening in their school that they don't agree with or that are inconsistent with government standards.
[00:19:13]  So, first and foremost, of course, they can talk to the school principal.
[00:19:17]  There are mechanisms as well with each school division.
[00:19:22]  They are required by law to have appeal mechanisms and complaint procedures.
[00:19:28]  Above and beyond all of that, In 2023, our government created the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission, which is an independent body that evaluates teacher professional conduct, and individuals can submit complaints to that body if they feel a teacher has violated their professional code of conduct.
[00:19:48]  And lastly, what happens if there is some sort of legal challenge to this law?
[00:19:56]  I know that the Premier has previously invoked.
[00:20:00]  The notwithstanding clause on other issues.
[00:20:03]  But we've seen that when this government tries to bring the education system back in line with the people it's intended to serve, i.e., parents and children, the teachers' union seems to mobilize en masse against the government and, by extension, I guess, parents and children.
[00:20:21]  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?
[00:20:34]  Yeah, we'll have to see and evaluate how it rolls out, of course, and then make decisions at that point, dependent on what kind of challenge we're facing, if any.
[00:20:45]  I know that and firmly believe that the vast majority of parents are strongly in support of legislation that will help focus our school divisions on teaching kids how to read, write, and excel in math.
[00:21:04]  I believe the vast majority of parents want our school divisions to be free of.
[00:21:08]  Political statements and wading into controversial social and political causes.
[00:21:17]  They want their kids to be educated.
[00:21:19]  And, you know, furthermore, there are also pieces in the legislation that have been developed and drafted based on what teachers were asking for and based on what we've seen.
[00:21:32]  We know there's been a number of concerns about violence and aggression in the classroom and changes in the bill.
[00:21:41]  Relates specifically to that concern.
[00:21:43]  We are asking school divisions to develop stronger standards that prohibit violence.
[00:21:49]  We're asking school divisions to ensure that they are developing more orderly classrooms that prioritize student well being and expected behaviors.
[00:22:00]  These are things that teachers have been asking for as well.
[00:22:03]  So I understand it's difficult to please everybody, but I believe that there are some things in the bill that teachers have been asking for and that they will be happy with.
[00:22:12]  Some things they may not be so thrilled with, and that's okay, but I believe we're moving in the right direction.
[00:22:18]  I said that was the last question, but I've got another one.
[00:22:22]  Is there anything in the legislation where it works both ways to protect teachers who may have conscientious objections or moral objections to certain instruction in the classroom?
[00:22:37]  Yeah, absolutely.
[00:22:38]  One of the other changes that we've made limits a school board's ability to direct an employee from taking any kind of a position or view or reaffirming any kind of statement on something that they might disagree with.
[00:23:01]  So it does as well provide additional protection for teacher rights and for their rights to independence of.
[00:23:10]  Thought and freedom of expression.

=== Iran Policy Clarified (05:35) ===

[00:23:13]  Minister, thank you.
[00:23:15]  My pleasure.
[00:23:16]  Thanks for having me.
[00:23:22]  I am here in Ottawa at a McEwen gas station for a press conference from Pierre Polyev, leader of the opposition, leader of the Conservative Party.
[00:23:31]  And at the podium, it says zero gas tax.
[00:23:35]  So I'm assuming that this particular press conference has something to do with the astronomical gas prices behind me as the carbon tax just went up again yesterday on April 1st.
[00:23:50]  And we'll see what Pierre has to say about that.
[00:23:54]  Since last month, gas prices have risen 35% across Canada.
[00:23:58]  Now, to be clear and to be fair, the recent increase in gas prices is the result of the war in Iran, but the long term high costs in Canada are the result of liberal taxes.
[00:24:10]  And if you want proof of that, look to the fact that gas prices in Canada today are approximately, if you look behind me at this chart, $1.78 versus $1.50 in the US, 28 cents higher in Canadian dollars.
[00:24:26]  In Canada versus the US.
[00:24:29]  You cannot explain that through global factors alone.
[00:24:33]  That is a result of high liberal taxes and the weak dollar Mr. Carney has given us.
[00:24:38]  That's why today I'm calling on the government to suspend all fuel taxes for the rest of the year.
[00:24:45]  A policy that would save 25 cents a litre, about $20 a fill up, and $1,200 for the average family of four between now and the end of the year.
[00:24:57]  We call on the government to fund.
[00:25:00]  This zero tax on gas proposal by cutting wasteful spending.
[00:25:04]  End the $90 billion Alto train disaster.
[00:25:10]  Cut back on consultants, bureaucracy, handouts to fake refugees, foreign aid, and bureaucracy.
[00:25:19]  Get rid of the multi billion dollar gun grab that targets law abiding hunters, farmers, and sports shooters.
[00:25:26]  Now, we have the opportunity to ask him a question today, and I would like to ask him for some clarification.
[00:25:33]  On a tweet that he retweeted that came from his shadow minister of immigration.
[00:25:39]  She put out a tweet that said, Stop rubber stamping asylum claims from countries like Iran.
[00:25:45]  Canadians deserve to be safe.
[00:25:47]  He reposted that and added liberal immigration from bad to worse.
[00:25:52]  Now, this caused a lot of backlash from the Iranian community, expressing frustration with Pierre's lack of distinction between the regime and the IRGC.
[00:26:03]  With the Iranian people themselves, and they felt somewhat targeted by that post.
[00:26:08]  So I wanted to get clarification because I'm pretty sure that that was not Pierre's intention and that he knows the distinction between the people of Iran and the regime.
[00:26:18]  And it would be great to get some clarification on that so that the Iranian community can feel good supporting the Conservative Party once more because, for the most part, they are very conservative and agree with his policies against mass immigration.
[00:26:30]  So it would be a really good thing for Pierre to have the opportunity to clarify that for them.
[00:26:35]  Hi, Scarlett Greaves with Rebel News.
[00:26:38]  There was a tweet put out by your shadow minister for immigration on Iran and asylum seekers.
[00:26:44]  And I just wanted clarification if you believe that the Iranian people are net abusers of the asylum system, or if you were being more specific to people associated with the regime in Iran, the IRGC, could you just clarify?
[00:26:58]  No, the people of Iran are not the problem.
[00:27:00]  We welcome Persian people to our country.
[00:27:04]  We've been very blessed to have a very large Persian population come here.
[00:27:09]  Almost all of them are fleeing from this dictatorial and repressive regime, and we're made stronger by that.
[00:27:18]  We are very outraged, though, that IRGC terrorists have been able to get into our country because of the very poor screening that the Liberal government has applied.
[00:27:29]  So, you have, for example, according to global news, wow, that's very loud.
[00:27:34]  Sorry.
[00:27:35]  You have 700 IRGC officials on our streets.
[00:27:41]  Iranian Canadians are telling me they go to the gym and they see thugs from the Iranian regime who are working out there.
[00:27:49]  They're living in mansions that they paid for using money they stole from the Iranian people.
[00:27:54]  They're terrorizing people in Canada.
[00:27:56]  The police have said that there's a homicide investigation now open because an Iranian human rights activist went missing in Canada.
[00:28:03]  It's now being considered a potential homicide.
[00:28:06]  So, what I want to do is stop, especially now, we want to make sure that regime thugs do not come in through the weak liberal borders to harass Persians, Jews, and other Canadians.
[00:28:19]  And what we should do is find every A regime thug who's here as a visitor, and we should deport them from Canada to protect our wonderful Persian, Jewish, and overall Canadian populations.
[00:28:32]  Thank you.
[00:28:33]  If you, like Pierre, support our Iranian immigrants who came here the right way and contribute greatly to this country, please stand with them in the fight to free their homeland and head to Canadians for a Free Iran.com.
[00:28:45]  Please sign the petition and chip in for our expenses if you can.