By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzzi Global capitalism has liberalized incrementally since the end of the Second World War. As the Keynesian welfare state fell out of favour in the late 1970s amid a stagnating economy and rising government spending, a new business-friendly approach dubbed neoliberalism (literally, “new liberalism”), emerged and ushered in an epoch of devotion to market principles as the solution to what ails Ontario both economically and socially. The implementation of the Canada-US Trade Agreement in 1987[1], North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994[2]and the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995[3] were (Read more…)
|
Justin Trudeau has rolled out his economic platform in a speech to Vancouver’s Board of Trade. It’s a 5-point plan that focuses mainly on trade with Asia and exporting resources. Given the speech is very similar to Brian Mulroney’s recent speech to Canada 2020, this bolsters my theory that the Liberal party has become the Brian Mulroney party. If you believe Mulroney was a “progressive conservative,” I guess you could say Trudeau’s vision is “progressive.” I transcribed most of Trudeau’s speech so activists can take a look at what he’s really planning. In order to get government that (Read more…) Louisiana State University entomologist Linda Hooper-Bui has been studying the impact of the BP oil spill on insects and spiders for almost four years. She started her study shortly after the Macondo well blew out on April 20, 2010, before any oil washed up on shore. Her work documents the dwindling of the insect population in areas directly hit with the oil. On April 9th, she returned to Bay Jimmy and Bay Baptiste, areas that were heavily impacted by the oil spill in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. “Insects are the basis of the food chain. They are like nature’s Twinkies,” Hooper-Bui says. Her studies also monitor (Read more…) The earliest Ontario will face general elxn if budget fails to pass is June 5. The latest is July 3, according to GovHouseLdrsOffice #onpoli— Paul Bliss (@blissblogs) April 17, 2014 Summertime and an election is in the air…engineered, perhaps, by an intransigent Andrea Horwath. Victory or Valhalla! … seems to be undergoing some serious perturbations these days. Earlier in the month came the story of three McDonald’s outlets in British Columbia abusing the Harper regime’s TFWP (Temporary Foreign Workers Program) by hiring temporary workers instead of available local people and reducing the hours of Canadian employees. Now comes word from Edmonton of more abuse by the hamburger giant, this time of its temporary workers. CBC News reports the following: Foreign workers recruited from Belize are accusing McDonald’s Canada of treating them like “slaves,” by effectively forcing them to share an expensive apartment – then deducting almost half their (Read more…) Admission is Free I did a picture of Harper on a horse in front of Parliament, as the leader who is set to conquer the world. Now a Canadian artist has done an interesting portrait of Harper on a horse. It looks good. Mahshid Farhoudi This one looks good too. By Tony Clark See more portraits here Here, on the Canadian public’s widespread recognition – and worrisome acceptance – that life will be worse for younger generations than for older ones. For further reading…- Ipsos-MORI’s poll referenced in the column is here. – The CCPA’s feature on post-secondary education costs is here, while Holly Moore reports on it here.- And I’ll again point out the one recent bright spot in post-secondary education policy, as Newfoundland and Labrador are working on eliminating student loans rather than figuring that increasing student debt loads represent a positive development. Yesterday, I took a look at the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and how it helps enforce labour discipline on all workers, and low-wage workers in particular. Today, I want to explore the migration side of the migrant worker equation. The context of migration not only makes it easier for employers to exploit TFWs, it also serves to obscure the common core of labour solidarity that should be at the basis of responses to the greater labour discipline that the TFWP enables. The expansion of the TFWP and its increasing application to low-wage work has occurred alongside other changes (Read more…) Bell’s Palsy is one of those rare ailments, and one that annoys more than threatens, but can be difficult and socially awkward for sufferers. It’s also one that still baffles researchers as to its cause. And also for an effective treatment. According to facialpalsy.org, The name ‘Bell’s palsy’ comes from 19th-century Scottish anatomist and surgeon […] Rob Douglas Built almost 40 years ago, the Cowichan Community Centre (now known as the Island Savings Centre) provides Cowichan residents with a swimming pool, hockey arena, gymnasium, library, art gallery, and a performing arts theatre. Local officials anticipate the facility will require significant renovations or replacement within the next decade-and-a-half, and the Cowichan Valley Regional District has already begun setting aside cash. Replacing the Island Savings Centre will not come cheap, and could cost upwards of $60 million. It should come as no surprise that some of our municipal politicians are already discussing a private-public partnership, or P3, as (Read more…) You can see the desperation of the Conservative government in the bills it is trying to pass while still in office. You can see it in the names of their bills. The name of the bill has little to do with the content. It is intended to confuse—to give one message to supporters and another message to the masses. While the Fair Elections Act is a desperate attempt to subvert elections to conservative advantage, the Victims Bill of Rights shows the conservative desire to put retribution ahead of justice. And the main problem is that conservatives do not really understand (Read more…) Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter for Thursday, April 17, 2014: A Star Quarterback Accused, and a Flawed Rape Investigation Calling All Innovative Lawyers, Law Firms and Other Legal Service Providers! Lisi drops appeal in death threat conviction – The Globe and Mail N.D. law banning most abortions tossed Clear offer of employment needed to argue mitigation Deloitte appeals Livent compensation ruling – The Globe and Mail RCMP decision on Mike Duffy charges expected within weeks When ‘Liking’ a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue Court Says That Tweeting Someone Is ‘F**king (Read more…) . . . → Read More: Wise Law Blog: 140 Law – Legal Headlines for Thursday, April 17, 2014 Geoff Norquay — Stephen Harper’s former Director of Communications — believes that, with the RCMP’s decision to drop its investigation of Nigel Wright, the Senate scandal is off the public’s radar screen. But Michael Harris asks the question we should all be asking ourselves: “Does the RCMP work for us, or the PMO?” The stakes are high here for all concerned. The hallmark of the Harper government is the impulse to politicize everything from science to the running of elections. Is justice being added to the list? There is a growing suspicion that the RCMP is now the prime (Read more…) It is a tale of corporate indifference on the part of Porche, and how the ‘little guy’ attempts to rectify it: Recommend this Post Inspired by this headline: http://www.theprovince.com/news/bc/Smyth+blind+been+turned+temporary+foreign+worker+program/9746144/story.html DeSmogBlog: After Over a Decade of Fracking, Oversight of Industry’s Radioactive Waste Still LackingIt has been roughly twelve years since fracking launched the great shale rush in the U.S. and the biggest problem with the technology — how to safely dispose of the enormous quantities of toxic waste generated — remains unsolved. In particular, regulators have struggled to fully understand or police the hazards posed by radioactivity found in fracking waste. The most common form of radioactivity in shale waste comes from radium-226, which happens also to be an isotope that takes the longest to decay. To be exact, radium-226’s half-life of roughly 1,600 years means that well over a millennium and a half (Read more…) R v PRL, 2014 SKCA 38: [9] The standard of review is set out in R. v. Yebes, 1987 CanLII 17 (SCC), [1987] 2 S.C.R. 168: “The Court must determine on the whole of the evidence whether the verdict is one that a properly instructed jury, acting judicially, could reasonably have rendered” (para. 25). An appeal court may not substitute its view for that of the trier of fact. [10] In R. v. R.P., 2012 SCC 22 (CanLII), 2012 SCC 22, [2012] 1 S.C.R. 746, the (Read more…) Dan Savage on why SSM is a decent, humane institution.
Filed under: Politics Tagged: Dan Savage, Human Rights, Religion, Same Sex Marriage, SSM Mount Pearl is alive with rumours this week that Steve Kent is trying to cross the floor (back) to the Liberals. Kent’s open dispute with the education minister Clyde Jackman over school re-organization in the bedroom city seems to have been the catalyst for the flurry of rumours. Now it could all be nothing, except for the fact that Kent’s fellow Mount Pearlers…Pearlites…Pearlies…whatever … know that the former child mayor has a reputation for changing his political affiliations when it suits. (Read more…) Well I knew what he was going to do from the moment he announced that Jim Flaherty would have a state funeral, for no good reason.And then let it be known that he had PERSONALLY written the eulogy he would deliver.And sure enough he did turn that solemn occasion into yet another giant photo-op for the glorification of HIMSELF. Read more » |
||
|
Copyright © 2014 Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes - All Rights Reserved |
||
