Green Party candidate apologizes for calling temporary worker program 'modern-day slavery'

A Green Party candidate in Manitoba is apologizing for calling Canada's temporary foreign worker program "modern-day slavery" during a federal election campaign debate, a comment that hasoutraged fruitfarmers who depend heavily on labourers from other countries.

Kate Storey, an organic farmer running for the party in the riding ofDauphin-Swan River-Neepawa, made the controversial remarks toward the end of a two-hour debate in Ottawa amongfour candidates. The Sept. 24 debate was posted online.

On Thursday, the Green Party issued a statement on Storey's behalf that said she "regrets her unfortunate choice of words during the recent agriculture debate and apologizes for any offence she has caused."

Temporary foreign workers, mostly from Mexico orJamaica,make a significant contribution to Canada's agriculture industry.

Larry Lutz, head of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, has employed Jamaican workersfor 11 years. With many Nova Scotians uninterested in seasonal farm jobs, he relies on nine men from the Caribbeancountryto help pickthe fall apple harvest.

"I was quite infuriated to have somebody say that we treat our workers like slaves," said Lutzas he showed CBCNews around the family farm in Rockland, N.S., asemployees worked alongside his son-in-law.

"They certainly never came here to see how we treat people."

Statement from Green Party

The party is still vowing to cancelthe program. Instead, it believes increased immigration can address farm labour shortages.

Storey had saidthe program "exploits desperate people who have no human rights" and is "nothing more than modern-day slavery."

The reference to slavery was hurtful to Rohan Thomas, who's working his fifth season on the Lutz farm, sometimes side by side with his boss. Without the work, he said, it would be a "big blow" for his family back home in Jamaica.

"The slavery was like shackles and chains and someone bossing you around to do things that you did not want to do. It is wrong to talk about slaving when we are not."

Storey claimedthe "cheap labour" earned by temporary foreign workers are clawed back one-third for housing, and they're denied health careand "sent back home" if they object.

Lutz called the allegationsfalse. He said employers provide housing at no cost. At his farm, there are two bunkhouses for employees.He said temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector arepaid minimum wage and guaranteed to be paid for at least 240 hours of work.

Through an agreement with the Jamaican government, there is a payrolldeduction to cover the cost of health care. In Ontario, the provincial health-care plan insures temporary workers.

The maximum a temporary employee is expected to contribute toward airfare is half the cost, but shorter-term workers pay less.

Employers are auditedto ensure compliance with program rules and labour laws. Fines can include a monetary penalty and/or a ban from hiring temporary workers.

In Nova Scotia, there are 1,476 temporary farm workers on 81fruit and vegetable farms.

Lutz saidthere would be notree fruitindustry in Nova Scotia without the workers when 80per cent of the apples, peaches and pears arepicked by temporary workers.

He said thecosts associated with hiring foreign workers adds 25 per cent to his operating budget compared to hiring local workers.

In Ontario, some19,000 temporary foreign workersare employed at1,450 farms, said Ken Forth. Heheads upFARMS, the organization that administers the temporary foreign worker program in Manitoba, Ontario and Atlantic Canada. He said Storey's comments espoused hatred toward employers and labourers.

"It's absolutely appalling that somebody who is running to run our country would actually say something like that. I think everybody should be enraged by it," said Forth.

The Green Party pledgeto scrap the program prompted a plea from Leon Smith, one of the Lutz farm's first temporary workers.

"Just join hands and heart, and help peoplebecause we love to be here," said Smith. "This program means a lot to us."

He said he'sgrateful for his eight-month work term thatprovides "a little bit more comfort" for his wife, four childrenand parents, addingthere's even enough leftover to help out his nieces and nephews. Smith said it would be difficult to provide for his family on a typical Jamaican wage.

"It's no modern-day slavery. That's over and done with."