Radio·JUST ASKING

What are the facts about the Temporary Foreign Worker program and what kinds of reforms should be looked at? Economist Armine Yalnizyan and lawyer Amanda Aziz answer your questions. Plus, former astronaut Chris Hadifeld on his upcoming novel Final Orbit, set against the backdrop of the 1970s Space Race.

Plus, former astronaut Chris Hadifeld on his upcoming novel Final Orbit.

CBC Radio · Posted: Sep 05, 2025 4:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Farm hands work in a vineyard. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

You’ve got smart questions, we’ve got solid answers. Let’s figure it out together!

Here’s what’s happening this Saturday:

What questions do you have about the Temporary Foreign Worker program?

This week, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called on the federal government to scrap the temporary foreign worker program, and create a separate immigration stream for farm workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. Poilievre claims the TFW program has made it harder for young people to find work, but economists are pushing back on that assessment. So what are the facts about the TFW program and what kinds of reforms should be looked at? Armine Yalnizyan is an economist and the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers. Amanda Aziz is a staff lawyer at the Migrant Workers Centre in B.C. They’ll answer your questions.

What questions do you have about living in space for Chris Hadfield?

Next month, former astronaut Chris Hadifeld is releasing his novel Final Orbit set against the backdrop of the 1970s Space Race. As NASA prepares for its second year-long Mars simulated mission, Hadfield will explore what it will take for NASA to get humans to Mars by 2030, how astronauts are preparing, and what we can expect from the next phase of space exploration. Chris Hadfield will answer all your space questions!