Fredericton – Green Party Leader and MLA for Fredericton-South, David Coon, is calling on the provincial government to provide a wage subsidy to help farmers recruit and retain farm workers, and to permit them to apply for exemptions to the order barring temporary foreign workers from entering New Brunswick.  

“While the Chief Medical Officer of Health has repeatedly said we may have to take further measures to tighten our borders in order to minimize the introduction of COVID-19 to New Brunswick, this last minute decision to close our borders to Temporary Foreign Workers, just before planting season begins, is depriving farmers of trained and experienced essential workers they need now,” says Green Party Leader David Coon.

“Farmers who can demonstrate they have all necessary supports in place to properly quarantine their workers for 14 days and provide for physical distancing in their accommodations, should be eligible for exemptions from the order barring temporary foreign workers.  A wage subsidy must also be made available so farmers can avoid debilitating labour shortages.”

A significant number of Temporary Foreign Workers were scheduled to arrive over the next few weeks to work in seafood processing plants and on farms.

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