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A plan by the federal government to cap the number of low-wage foreign workers and impose higher fees on companies that make use of the program has raised the ire of politicians in Western Canada, which suffers from chronic labour shortages in key sectors from mining to energy.

The changes don’t target higher-skilled trades, Mr. Coleman told reporters following his address at an energy conference. But he cautioned against making broad changes to the program, warning they could jeopardize future investments in the country.

B.C. is counting on temporary foreign workers to help fill as many as 100,000 jobs if LNG projects materialize as planned.

The province is on the brink of a multi-billion-dollar resource boom as major energy companies seek to deliver natural gas by tanker to energy-hungry Asian markets, where prices are higher. As many as 14 of the export terminals are proposed, but analysts have cautioned that only a few will ultimately get built.

To meet industry workforce needs, the province has pledged to overhaul its education system and bolster local ranks of skilled tradespeople.

But an aging workforce and heated competition from rival export projects has stoked concern that B.C. is at risk of seeing the same sharp cost overruns that hampered Australia’s LNG boom.

Proponents of the mega-plants have put off final investment decisions while they jockey with the province over fiscal terms that may include a tax of up to 7% on export profits, once development costs are recouped. Labour availability is also a top concern, the companies say.