Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at the Trudeau Liberals' handling of immigration during a press conference in Hamilton, Ontario earlier today.

Poilievre slammed the Liberal government's management of the international student program and the number temporary foreign workers in response to a question from Rebel News journalist David Menzies.

Menzies asked the Conservative leader what his government would do to reverse the trend of temporary foreign workers taking the jobs of unemployed young Canadians. 

Poilievre tells David Menzies the Trudeau Liberals have "destroyed our entire immigration system" and that temporary foreign workers "should only be available to fill jobs that employers have proven beyond a doubt cannot be filled by Canadians."https://t.co/TXq29qhTJo pic.twitter.com/qngN3GIoX9

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 9, 2024

"Trudeau has destroyed our entire immigration system and he has expanded the temporary foreign worker program by well over 200% at a time when we're losing jobs," said Poilievre.

"You have international students who are effectively temporary foreign workers that came under the wrong stream," he added.

'Hell no, we won’t go!': International students demand to remain in Canada after work permits expire

In Brampton, Ont., international students from India demonstrate, demanding to remain in Canada — even if their work permits expire.https://t.co/pTGm2GjAEf

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) June 24, 2024

Poilievre went on to discuss his government's stance regarding temporary foreign workers. "Our temporary foreign worker program should only be available to fill jobs that employers have proven beyond a doubt cannot be filled by Canadians," he said.

"It should never be used to bring in low wage workers from poor countries to take jobs away from or suppress the wages of Canadian workers."

The unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 has jumped in the past year from 10.6% to 13.5%, a nearly a 3% increase in one year, marking 422,000 unemployed young people across Canada. 

According to recent polling from Abacus Data, Poilievre's Conservative Party is currently leading Trudeau's Liberal Party by 20 points.