Kelowna West MLA Ben Stewart is getting some heat for a controversial tweet criticizing federal government COVID-19 benefits for workers.
乌鸦传媒淏usiness owners across BC are struggling to stay open as Gov乌鸦传媒檛 programs don乌鸦传媒檛 encourage workers to seek employment. This is wrong!乌鸦传媒� reads the tweet Stewart published on Twitter Saturday afternoon.
Stewart said he made the comments after taking a walk around downtown Kelowna, seeing many restaurants looking for employees but failing to find any. He says programs like the Canada Recovery Benefit are to blame.
乌鸦传媒淧art of the problem is that programs have been extended and are running until the end of September. There is no accountability on whether you乌鸦传媒檙e busy looking for work. Even during a crisis, you still have to be looking for work, and that is not happening today,乌鸦传媒� said Stewart in a Monday interview with Black Press Media.
Many responded to his tweet, pointing out that while Stewart is criticizing COVID-19 benefits, he乌鸦传媒檚 paying his employees minimum wage. Stewart is the owner of Quails乌鸦传媒� Gate, a popular winery located in West Kelowna. A recent job posting for vineyard workers required applicants to work 60-plus hours per week, Monday to Saturday, with occasional Sunday work. Applicants must also be available all weekends during specific time periods and must be available to travel to vineyard sites all over the Central Okanagan as well as Osoyoos.
BC Liberal MLA Ben Stewart is mad about government programs that support workers who lost their jobs.
乌鸦传媒� Mo Amir 啷� This is VANCOLOUR (@vancolour)
Unrelated to this, Mr. Stewart owns Quail乌鸦传媒檚 Gate Winery in Kelowna, which apparently doesn乌鸦传媒檛 pay its vineyard workers a penny above minimum wage.
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Stewart said that employment costs have increased during the pandemic and workers at Quail乌鸦传媒檚 Gate are not forced to work 60 hours, but many workers choose to. He says he乌鸦传媒檚 had trouble finding anybody to take up jobs at the winery recently.
乌鸦传媒淚f you wanted to be an equipment operator, the numbers are far higher than minimum wage and we are not contracting anybody. My human resources department is perplexed on why people are not taking up jobs here,乌鸦传媒� said Stewart.
Statistics Canada乌鸦传媒檚 labour force survey for July 2021, released Aug. 6, shows British Columbia as the lone province with employment above its pre-pandemic level. The national unemployment rate fell to 7.5 per cent in July, compared to 7.8 per cent in June. Long-term employment accounted for more than one-quarter of total unemployment in July, and youth unemployment fell by 54,000.
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Stewart, however, claimed that the numbers in the labour force survey have been skewed because most employment in B.C. happened in the public sector.
The government is too focused on 乌鸦传媒渟pecial interest groups,乌鸦传媒� such as disabled people, as part of their economic recovery plan and does not pay much attention to the private sector, according to Stewart.
乌鸦传媒淭here are no programs to help people build skills that they need. What are we doing to help youth to get caught up and get jobs in nursing and engineering?乌鸦传媒� he said.
When asked for specific solutions, Stewart did not give specifics. He pointed to the BC Liberal乌鸦传媒檚 track record of making 乌鸦传媒渂alanced乌鸦传媒� budgets, growing B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 economy and helping businesses across the province. He wants the province to let the private sector do things they are good at and not put further restrictions on sectors such as housing. The NDP government is spending a lot of money but not at the right places, he said.
乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 get jobs by giving money to people,乌鸦传媒� said Stewart. 乌鸦传媒淲e are faced with inheriting a deficit, and residents will have to pay more in taxes as a result.乌鸦传媒�
In response to the criticisms, Stewart posted an apology on Twitter on Tuesday, Aug. 10, calling his comments, specifically those regarding disabled people, 乌鸦传媒渨rong and insensitive.乌鸦传媒�
I want to apologize for my comments around government programs, specifically for those living with disabilities who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. They were wrong and insensitive.
乌鸦传媒� Ben Stewart (@benstewartbc)
Editor乌鸦传媒檚 note: This story was updated with Ben Stewart乌鸦传媒檚 apology at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
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