| Abstract: | Seasonal offshore labour from Mexico and the Caribbean is a vital element in the horticulture industry of Ontario, Canada. The offshore programme run by the government regulates the recruitment of foreign workers into a seemingly feudal labour regime. It is argued here that media discourse about foreign workers plays an important role in generating public consent for this regime. An analysis of the daily newsprint media reveals several co-existing narratives, which constitute a wider public discourse about offshore labour. By portraying foreign workers as crucial for the economy, a liability to rural communities and a form of aid to the global south, this discourse legitimates existing labour practices, cultural exclusion and workers' temporary status in Canada. |
