Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Tory Bankers


So who really benefits from the Tories tax cuts the most. Why the most underprivileged of all Canadians. The Banks. They will get a boost to their bottom line on July 1st, with an increase tax cut to their base capital increased from a mere $300 million to $1 billion, costing the government $45 million in lost revenue. More than any other costs.

Compare that to all their tax cuts for average Canadians which will cost half that, around $22 million. So who really benefits from the Tories budget? Well the wealthiest and greedyist of all Canadians.

Bank Taxes

Financial companies such as banks and insurers will start paying the 1.25 percent tax on their capital at the C$1 billion level instead of today's C$300 million as of July 1, according to budget documents. The change will cost the government C$45 million by 2008.



ALSO SEE:
Service Charges


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Alberta Ghouls


Here is an example of privatization of medical services Alberta style. Of course it's perfectly legal since these services are not conducted under Alberta Health Care. But it is NOT legal under international law. Because a ghoul is still a ghoul.

Kidneys bought from Pakistani donors

CALGARY -- An Alberta company is helping patients with failing kidneys buy new ones from live Pakistani donors, sparking a debate about the ethics of trafficking in human body parts.

Overseas Medical Services in Calgary will arrange a speedy kidney donation and transplant surgery through Lahore-based Aadil Hospital for $32,000 US.

Livers, pancreases and lungs are also available for cash from Pakistani donors, Aruna Thurairajan, a former Sri Lankan medical administrator who owns Overseas Medical, said this week.

But since she began offering the service earlier this year, she has received requests only for kidney donations, she said.

Medical tourism speeds treatment – for a fee

Huge wait for MRI led to surgery in India


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Forward To The Past


The Canadian dollar is rising against the U.S. dollar, or perhaps it is better said that the Canadian dollar is the international Petro Dollar now and the U.S. dollar is a basket case.

The rise of the Loonie to 90 cents on the US dollar is a return not only to the 1978 exchange rate, but to the rate the dollar fell to under the
DiefenBuck in 1961-1963 when the Canadian dollar fell from par with the US dollar to 92 cents.

1961 was also the first year that Canadian Tire money was introduced.

With the rising of the Loonie and fall of the US dollar we have returned to the economics of the 1950's and 1960's boom. A boom that was created by the globalization of the market with the creation of the IMF, World Bank, Bretton Woods agreement and the Marshall Plan.

A History of the Canadian Dollar

The decision to float, 1950

Once again, international economic conditions quickly changed and obliged the Canadian authorities to alter their approach to foreign exchange policy. The earlier depreciation of the Canadian dollar against its U.S. counterpart, which boosted Canadian exports, and rising commodity prices associated with the beginning of the Korean War in June 1950 had strengthened Canada's trade balance with the United States. At the same time, the economic recovery in Europe, aided by the Marshall Plan, which provided European countries with convertible U.S. dollars, boosted Canadian exports (Muirhead 1999, 138). There were also strong inflows of direct investment into Canada. Short-term capital inflows also increased sharply, particularly through the third quarter of 1950, as speculation regarding a Canadian dollar revaluation intensified.

In this environment, Canadian authorities became increasingly concerned about the inflationary impact of the inflows if Canada tried to maintain a fixed exchange rate. There was also concern that the inflows were leading to a "substantial and involuntary increase in Canada's gross foreign debt" (FECB 1950, 14).

On 30 September 1950, Douglas Abbott, the Minister of Finance, announced that

  • Today the Government, by Order in Council under the authority of the Foreign Exchange Control Act, cancelled the official rates of exchange which had been in effect since September 19th of last year . . . . It has been decided not to establish any new fixed parity for the Canadian dollar at this time, nor to prescribe any new official fixed rates of exchange. Instead, rates of exchange will be determined by conditions of supply and demand for foreign currencies in Canada.

He also announced that any remaining import prohibitions and quota restrictions, imposed in November 1947, would be eliminated, effective 2 January 1951. Controls on imports of capital goods were also to be reviewed.

Interestingly, the idea of floating the Canadian dollar was widely discussed as early as the beginning of 1949. A then-secret memorandum prepared in January of that year and attributed to James Coyne, who later became Governor of the Bank of Canada, made the case for floating the currency while retaining exchange controls. In his paper, Coyne noted that it would be better to "have a natural rate which could move up or down from time to time as economic conditions might require." He also noted that government inertia made it very difficult for the authorities to adjust a fixed exchange rate in a timely manner (Coyne 1949).

Options other than floating the exchange rate were apparently dismissed as impractical, including revaluing the Canadian dollar upwards, widening the currency's permitted 1 per cent fluctuation band, or restricting capital inflows. Given the criticism levelled against the government after the 1946 revaluation of the Canadian dollar, followed by the short-lived 1949 devaluation, another revaluation was viewed as unacceptable. It was also unclear how much of a revaluation would be required to stem the capital inflows. Widening the bands also posed problems since it was unclear how wide the bands would have to be. Likewise, restrictions on capital inflows were seen as untenable from a longer-term perspective for a country dependent on foreign capital (Hexner 1954, 248).

This view is consistent with a speech on exchange controls given by Douglas Abbott, Minister of Finance, in December 1951,

  • The conclusion I have come to is that we would be better advised not to rely on exchange restrictions, but rather on the general handling of our domestic economic situation to keep us in reasonable balance with the outside world and to maintain the Canadian dollar over the years at an appropriate relationship with foreign currencies.

The system envisaged by Coyne in 1949 of a floating Canadian dollar within a system of foreign exchange controls was put into practice when markets opened on 2 October 1950. With interbank trading now permitted, the Canadian dollar quickly appreciated, rising to roughly US$0.95.

With the floating of the Canadian dollar, the rationale for the continuation of exchange controls came into question. Through 1951, controls were progressively eased. Finally, on 14 December 1951, the Foreign Exchange Control Regulations were revoked by an Order-in-Council. New regulations were passed that exempted all persons and all transactions from the need for permits to buy and sell foreign exchange. The Foreign Exchange Control Act itself, which had been renewed for another two-year period earlier in 1951, was repealed in October 1952.

The unofficial exchange market

Shortly after the imposition of exchange controls in 1939 and the official fixing of the Canadian dollar's value in terms of the U.S. dollar by the FECB, an unofficial market for Canadian dollars developed in New York that persisted until the Canadian dollar was floated at the end of September 1950. This was a legal market involving transactions in Canadian dollars between non-residents of Canada. Residents of Canada were prohibited from acquiring foreign exchange through the unofficial market. Similarly, no resident of Canada was ever authorized to convert foreign exchange into Canadian dollars through the unofficial market.

The source of "inconvertible" Canadian dollars consisted of Canadian dollar bank balances held by non-residents when exchange controls were introduced in 1939, sales by U.S. residents of certain types of assets (such as real estate), and the proceeds of maturing Canadian dollar securities paid to non-residents.

Canadian dollars purchased in the unofficial market could be used only in a very circumscribed manner. For example, they could not be used to purchase Canadian goods and services. In this regard, the purpose of exchange controls was not just to conserve available foreign exchange but also to maximize the receipt of foreign exchange. U.S. residents wishing to buy Canadian securities or real estate were, however, permitted to use Canadian dollars obtained in the unofficial market, as could travellers to Canada.

The unofficial market for Canadian dollars ended with the floating of the Canadian dollar. Throughout most of its existence, the inconvertible Canadian dollar traded at a sizable discount compared with its official counterpart. The spread between the two rates mirrored the pressures on the Canadian economy, widening to more than 10 per cent during the darkest months of 1940 and narrowing as the war progressed and Canadian prospects improved. By 1945, the discount was temporarily eliminated. Indeed, for a few months during 1946, prior to the upward revaluation of the official Canadian dollar back to parity with its U.S. counterpart, the inconvertible Canadian dollar traded at a slight premium in the free market.

Interestingly, when the official rate was finally revalued on 5 July 1946, the inconvertible Canadian dollar, while also appreciating, did not move up the whole amount. It generally traded between US$0.95 and US$0.96 through the remainder of that year. Clearly, the revaluation was not viewed as completely credible by free-market participants. Indeed, the free rate slowly weakened over the next few years, foreshadowing the eventual devaluation of the official rate in September 1949. 42

The inconvertible Canadian dollar declined with the devaluation of the official exchange rate in 1949, but to a lesser extent, temporarily eliminating the differential between the two rates. With the inconvertible Canadian dollar continuing to weaken to about US$0.8840, through the winter of 1949-50, a differential of roughly 2.5 per cent temporarily re-emerged. Sudden improvement in Canadian economic prospects, however, and strong capital inflows from the United States, eliminated the differential between the two rates once again by March 1950. Indeed, the unofficial rate actually moved to a marginal premium to the official rate immediately prior to the decision to float the Canadian dollar.

The relevance of the unofficial rate

During the 1940s, there was an active debate over whether the unofficial rate was the "true" value of the Canadian dollar. The Bank of Canada maintained that given the "limited use" of inconvertible Canadian dollars and the small size of the market, prices were not necessarily an accurate reflection of sentiment towards the Canadian dollar (FECB 1947, 5). 43

This was disputed by many economists, including then-assistant professor of economics, Milton Friedman. In a 1948 University of Chicago debate with Donald Gordon, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, and Dr. W. A. Mackintosh, head of the economics department at Queen's University and wartime economic adviser to the government, Friedman argued that there was no particular reason why a small market should necessarily lead to a distorted price. He also argued strongly that Canada should introduce a flexible exchange rate rather than relying on a system of exchange controls to balance trade. Gordon, on the other hand, contended that a 10 per cent decline in the official Canadian dollar (to roughly the level prevailing in the unofficial market) would have comparatively little impact on trade flows (Friedman et al. 1948).

A Floating Canadian Dollar (1950-62)

As a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Canada's decision to float the Canadian dollar was at odds with its commitment to the Fund to maintain a fixed exchange rate within the Bretton Woods system. 44 In this regard, in 1949 the Canadian authorities had established with the IMF a "par value" of US$0.9091 with a fluctuation band of 1 per cent. At least initially, floating was viewed as a temporary state of affairs. The minister of finance noted the government's intention to remain in consultation with the Fund and

  • ultimately to conform to the provisions of the Fund's Articles of Agreement which stipulate that member countries should not allow their exchange rates to fluctuate more than one percent on either side of the par values from time to time established with the Fund (Abbott 1950).

It would be almost 12 years before Canada reintroduced a fixed exchange rate and regained the good graces of the IMF. Consequently, Canada came to be viewed as something of a maverick in international financial circles. The unwillingness to re-fix the exchange rate appears to have reflected concern about repeating the mistake of 1946 when the dollar was revalued upwards only to come under significant downward pressure the next year, followed by a devaluation in 1949.

After quickly rising to the US$0.95 level immediately after the exchange rate was freed, the Canadian dollar slowly appreciated, moving to a small premium of about 2 per cent vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar by 1952. From then until the end of 1960, it traded in a relatively narrow range between US$1.02 and US$1.06. The peak for the Canadian dollar during this period was US$1.0614, touched on 20 August 1957. Foreign exchange intervention by the Bank of Canada through the Exchange Fund Account was limited to smoothing short-run fluctuations of the Canadian dollar.

While unpopular in business circles, the floating exchange rate was strongly supported by academic economists as a means of insulating the domestic economy from external shocks, either inflationary or deflationary. It was also recognized that the two-way risk associated with a flexible exchange rate could itself lessen large capital movements (Hexner 1954, 253).

Canada's successful experiment with a flexible exchange rate regime through much of the 1950s inspired considerable early academic work on the merits of a flexible exchange rate system. Later, it would provide a model for the rest of the world when the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates finally collapsed during the early 1970s.

Return to a Fixed Exchange Rate (1962-70)

During the late 1950s, Canadian authorities became concerned about a deterioration in Canada's international competitiveness, aggravated by its strong dollar, which continued to be supported by substantial capital inflows. After the investment boom of the mid-1950s, economic activity had slowed significantly, and the unemployment rate more than doubled from 3.4 per cent in 1956 to 7.2 per cent in 1961. In this environment, the government sought to ease policy in order to support demand and reduce the economic slack in the economy.

Bank of Canada Governor James Coyne resisted any significant easing, however. He viewed Canada's large current account deficit as a symptom of excessive demand pressures, even though domestic inflationary pressure had eased throughout this period, falling from somewhat more than 2 per cent in 1958 to 1.3 per cent by the end of 1960. He was convinced that

  • to engage in further large over-all monetary expansion in an attempt to drive down interest rates generally, with or without the motive of thereby reducing the inflow of capital from abroad, is an unsound and dangerous approach and would prove to be an ineffective approach, to the problems of the exchange rate, of the recession, and of achieving more consistent economic growth (Bank of Canada 1960, 22).

The policy dispute between the government and the central bank came to a head during the summer of 1961. On 30 May, the government requested the resignation of Governor Coyne but was refused. On 20 June, the minister of finance introduced an expansionary budget and announced that the government would take steps to lower the value of the Canadian dollar, including, as necessary, purchasing substantial amounts of U.S. dollars in the exchange market (Fleming 1961a).The government also introduced a bill in Parliament (An Act Respecting the Bank of Canada) to declare the position of governor vacant (House of Commons 1961). The bill passed the House of Commons on 7 July, but after testimony by Governor Coyne, the Senate Standing Committee on Banking and Commerce concluded that there had been no misconduct on his part. On 14 July, the full Senate defeated the bill. Having had "his day in court," Governor Coyne resigned. Louis Rasminsky succeeded him as Governor on 24 July 1961 (Bélanger 1970).

Not surprisingly, the Canadian dollar began to weaken in this environment. From a level of about US$1.01 prior to the June budget statement, the dollar quickly fell to US$0.97. It weakened further in October 1961 to under US$0.96, following an announcement by the minister of finance that the appropriate discount of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar "might well turn out to be greater than the present 3 per cent" (Fleming 1961b).

The introduction of a "managed" flexible exchange rate regime, under which the government would intervene to keep the Canadian dollar at a significant discount to its U.S. counterpart, as opposed to just smoothing fluctuations, was in some ways a compromise with the IMF. The Fund was encouraging Canadian authorities to return to a fixed exchange rate regime within the context of the Bretton Woods system. No new par value for the Canadian dollar was recommended, however. Additional time was seen as necessary to prepare for the re-establishment of a fixed rate.

After stabilizing at about US$0.95 between November 1961 and March 1962, the Canadian dollar began to weaken further, despite significant intervention by the Bank of Canada to support the currency. On 2 May 1962, the government, in agreement with the IMF, established a new par value for the Canadian dollar, fixing it at US$0.9250 with a fluctuation band of 1 per cent.

Fixing the exchange rate at a markedly lower level did not, however, relieve the pressure on the Canadian dollar. Doubts remained about the viability of the new rate, particularly given the prevailing political uncertainty. 45 Heavy official intervention was therefore required to hold the Canadian dollar within its allowed fluctuation band.

On 24 June 1962, the government announced a major economic and financial program aimed at restoring confidence in the Canadian dollar and indicated its determination to defend the currency's new par value. Measures taken included a tightening of fiscal and monetary policy, the imposition of temporary import surcharges, and the marshalling of US$1,050 million in financial support from the international community. This support consisted of a US$300 million drawing from the IMF, 46 a US$400 million line of credit from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, US$250 million under a reciprocal swap facility between the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and US$100 million from the Bank of England under a similar arrangement. 47 Other European central banks were also willing to provide additional assistance, if necessary (Bank of Canada 1962, 8).

This program restored confidence in the Canadian dollar. The resumption of private capital inflows during the second half of 1962 enabled the Canadian authorities to gradually ease the emergency measures imposed earlier. Much of the international financial assistance received, excluding that of the IMF, was repaid by the end of the year. Funds owed to the IMF were fully repaid by 1964. For the remainder of the decade, the Canadian dollar was maintained, relatively easily for the most part, within the permitted fluctuation band around its US$0.9250 par value.

The dollar did, however, come under significant, temporary downward pressure during the summer of 1963, following the U.S. announcement on 18 July that it would impose an "Interest Equalization Tax" on foreign borrowings in U.S. capital markets. Although Canada's current account deficit had narrowed significantly over the previous two years, it remained large. Consequently, there was a general fear that unless Canadian interest rates rose by an offsetting amount (roughly 1 percentage point per year), capital inflows from the United States would cease. On 31 July, the United States agreed to exempt Canada from the tax, with the proviso that Canada would not increase its foreign international reserves through the proceeds of borrowing in the United States (Bank of Canada 1963, 6). Downward pressure on the currency ceased with this agreement, and Canadian markets stabilized.

The Canadian dollar experienced another bout of temporary downward pressure in March 1968, after the U.S. announcement of controls on capital outflows. The pressure eased with an agreement on 7 March that exempted Canada from all such controls. Similar to the exemption from the Interest Equalization Tax, Canada agreed that the U.S. balance-of-payments position would not be impaired as a result of its actions.

Because of concerns about the Bank of Canada's ability to conduct monetary policy in light of these accords, there was a follow-up agreement with the United States on 17 December 1968, which stated that no particular level of reserves would have to be targeted (Bank of Canada 1968, 13). This made it easier for the Bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets during periods of upward pressure on the currency. 48


Also see: Bank of Canada History of the Canadian Dollar



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Bring On the Flames


Yeah we were distracted on May Day when the Oilers beat the Dead Things in game six. Whyte Trash Avenue was crammed with fans for hours distracting us from the Flames sputering out against the Mighty Ducks. However tonight well we are all cheering for the Flames. Really.

I mean who wouldn't want the Battle of Alberta.

It's better than the Stanley Cup. All else pales in comparisson of this historic rivalry.

And we have to make up for the regular season match up.

Besides we all know that Oil douses Flame. Bring em on.


Oilers fans cheer on Flames for Battle of Alberta

Edmonton Journal

Published: Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Many Edmonton Oiler fans will be doing something totally out of character tonight.

They’ll be cheering for the Calgary Flames.

As the Flames face elimination in Game 7 of their playoff series against Anaheim, Oilers fans hoping for a Battle of Alberta are temporarily switching allegiances.

Journal columnist John MacKinnon says a lot of excitement is being fueled by hopes for an Edmonton-Calgary series.

“It’s a unique event,” he says. “An Edmonton-Calgary playoff series is like no other sporting event. That level of excitement is something that people want to see again. All the drama and intensity and memories of wonderful playoff series between Calgary and Edmonton is what’s driving their short-term cheering for calgary.”

And the city is up for it, says MacKinnon, who is in Calgary for the game.

“Driving in from the airport, every other car has a Calgary Flames flag flapping from the window. And people are talking about it. It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to, it’s on everybody’s mind.”

As for the game itself, he expects to see two teams out to prove they deserve to move to the next round in the playoffs.

MacKinnon: “Calgary plays a very defensive, intense, hard-hitting style of play. Nothing fancy, just trying to choke the life out of a very talented, very speedy team from Anaheim. It’s a contrast. Often, when we see Calgary play just about anybody, we see a very nuts-and-bolts hockey team try to exert its will on a team that is usually much more talented.”

And, of course, he expects a sea of red Flames jerseys in the Saddledome and along the Red Mile.

MacKinnon will be blogging from the game tonight (click here) and is part of the Journal team that will be providing full coverage of the game in Thursday’s paper.

The game starts at 7 p.m. It is being carried live on CBC TV.


large_battleofalberta.jpg

Battle of Alberta: A Century of Hockey’s Greatest Rivalry


Can$19.95

Steven Sandor

Alberta has long been a big part of the frantic Canadian hockey scene, and even before Alberta became a province in 1905, the intense hockey rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton was in full swing. In The Battle of Alberta the rough- and-tumble relationship between these two hockey hotbeds is presented in all its colourful glory. The tussle got its start in 1895 when an all-star team from Calgary journeyed to Edmonton to take on the mighty Thistles and a team of Northwest Mounted Police pucksters. Calgary came away victorious; Edmonton vowed revenge, and thus began a long procession of battling teams in both cities. Illustrated with archival photographs of the many teams and players from the far and near past, hockey fans throughout Alberta and across Canada will delight in this wonderful history of hockey’s longest and greatest rivalry.

STEVEN SANDOR is the former editor-in-chief of Edmonton’s Vue Weekly magazine. He is currently the North American editor of Face-Off, one of Europe’s largest hockey magazines, and Zone, the official magazine of the Edmonton Oilers. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he works part-time for the Edmonton Sun.



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Justice

Despite the States attempt to murder a madman making him the scapegoat for 9/11, the American people, 12 jurors and a fair minded judge, today showed that Justice can be done.

In giving him a life sentence instead of death, they have given him poetic justice as well, denying him a martyrs fate.

And when one considers the case of Sirhan Sirhan who out and out assisinated a Presidential Candidate in front of TV cameras, Moussaoui got as fair a sentence. Who lost, the Bush regime and its eye for an eye old testament biblical vindicitveness. Who won, the American people and the 9/11 families who saw a just and fair trial and verdict despite the States shennigans.

Jury spares 9/11 plotter Moussaoui

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui should spend the rest of his life in prison for his role in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, a federal jury decided Wednesday.Defense attorneys focused on Moussaoui's mental health, calling experts who diagnosed him as a delusional paranoid schizophrenic. The jury heard that Moussaoui's troubled family history includes two sisters and an abusive father who suffer from mental illness. (Full story)

vert.zac.mug.jpg
Zacarias Moussaoui is the only person convicted in the U.S. of playing a role in the 9/11 attacks.


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Some People Never Learn


You cannot blow up a social relationship.

In this case its a lesson that continues to be lost on anarcho-punk animal rights activist Darren Thurston, who boiled lobsters alive in Edmonton in order to free them, moved to Vancouver where he then worked on Saving Bears, by allegedly sending bombs to pro hunting organizations.

Today he sits in a jail cell in Oregon for having fire bombed a corral filled with wild horses and mules. As with most of Thurstons actions this one too failed. But it could have been a disaster, killing the very animals they wanted to free.

When will these idiots ever learn.They aren't anarchists they are an
infantile caricature of anarchism.

But of course there are those idiots who consider them political prisoners, instead of the juvenile delinquints they really are. Seriously folks you would think this guy would realize that bombs do not a message make. But they are great for making self appointed martyrs.

I knew Darren in Edmonton , and I argued against his tactics since he refused to accept, that you do not engage in armed struggle when you should build a mass movement. Instead he and his fellow martyr David Barabash decided to engage in armed struggle, for their own selfish ends. And they claim to be anarchists. Which they ARE NOT.


Those in the anarchist movement who continue to mistakenly support these twits in the ALF do a disservice to anarchism and real political prisoners.




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Kelowna Accord


A great deal of gnashing and wailing has occured over the Harpocrites abandonment of the Kelowna Accord.

Stageleft does a well thought out presentation on the Conservatives anti-aboriginal agenda.

Unfortunately what gets overlooked is who speaks for aboriginal peoples. There is no real self government amongst aboriginal peoples in Canada.

The self appointed family compact of leaders in the aboriginal community, those recognized by the Department of Indian Affairs and by Provincial and Federal governments, continue to claim they speak for the people. Ha.

As anyone knows there is no democracy in native communities they are colonial governments appointed and recognized by the Colonial Department of Indian Affairs.

If any political party wanted to seriously address aboriginal self government they would first abolish this colonial hangover, and assure that all aboriginal peoples, including those disenfranchised by department policies such as native women, and those whose families are not in power now, had their democratic and economic rights assured. Then we could hand over the $9 billion the department controls to the people who really need it.

The Kelowna accord was not worth the paper it was written on. Contrary to Stagelefts assertions, the bottom line is it was too little too late, Paul Martins swan song. It was a political ploy by the Liberals to stay in power until this spring. And it failed. Sure blame the Conservatives for their right wing agenda, but don't forget to blame the Liberals who had 13 years to settle this matter.

If the Kelowna accord meant anything then the Caledonia protest laid lie to that.And it laid lie to the phony government appointed leadership in the aboriginal community in Canada.




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Jack Fights Back Over Census

Jack Layton has responded to the ViveCanada.ca campaign against the contracting out of Census data collection to Lockheed Martin. The first and only leader of a federal Canadian political party to do so. I got his email response as did others who have sent in their complaints via the Count Me Out campaign website. And I got my census form in the mail yesterday.

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Bloggers Budget Reaction


As expected there was uniform joy in the land of Blogging Tories over the Harpocrite budget. These guys are so predictable. The majority all cooed over the budget like the syncophants they are. And they denounce the left for being in lockstep. Ha.

One critical comment on the budget, because it failed the military, and one link to my comment on the budget. I shocked the BT's. And only one liberaltarian amongst the lot who reviewed the budget in a balanced way.

Stephn Taylor the webmeister of BT runs the closest thing to a critical comment in his blog where he basically quotes the reactions to the budget.

On the other hand this blog and others of us in the Progressive Bloggers did not do the knee jerk reaction thingee, showing which blogosphere actually does not follow the party line. In particular the following did not go with the usual Liberal or NDP criticism of the budget. One could say these were fair and balanced comments from the No Spin Zone (wink).

Liberal Catnip

RCI Budget Analysis

Capitalist Pig vs. Socialist Swine

Pample the Moose

Calgary Grit

Syncategorematic

Red Tory

The Moderate Post

The Liberal Times

Flash Point Canada

And at least Progressive Bloggers pointed out, with no help from the political spinmeisters that the Harpocrites are incapable of telling the truth about their budget.

Lies Lies Lies

Flaherty Lies, Layton Cries

Tax reduction? Only if you're wealthy enough

Now if only the Blogging Tories could be as honest or at least take off the rose coloured glasses and speak truth to power. For political honesty in comments on the budget the score is PB 14 BT 2



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Census Beer



Not satisfied with going south of the border and contracting out computer operations for the 2006 Census to the warmachine maker Lockeed Martin, Stats Canada takes contracting out one step further. Now they are running ads for Census 2006 in Alberta on a scab made beer.

If you are from Western Canada, in particular their home base of Alberta or recently Manitoba where they have been aggressively advertising, you know these guys as the low cost www.damngoodbeer.ca

The only thing good about it is the cheap cost. And how do they get that cost, why the same way they get their watery flavour, they have it brewed south of the border. Mountain Crest Breweries is not a brewery it's a Calgary holding company that contracts out its brewing to a Wisconsin brewery. Its a guy his warehouse, truck and his webpage.

It's the ultiamte NAFTA beer. US made beer shipped to Canada, all they do is take care of the packagining and re-selling. Well now Stats Canada in an effort to get 18-24 year olds to take the Census in Alberta, has teamed up with this scummy company and created Census Beer.

This is a new low for even them. Think so, well maybe not. Stats Canada is just as scummy since it is one of the few government departments that contracts out Census work on a mass scale and still uses piece wage labour.

And besides the lucrative contract paid for by you and me what does this beer front company get? Advertising and demographic data.

And Stats Canada is doing this promotion, in Alberta only, why?

Not enough Albertans between 18 and 24 participate in the federal census, so Statistics Canada has come up with a new gimmick to get their attention: advertising on beer cans. The feds have partnered with Calgary's Mountain Crest Brewing Co. to market Mountain Crest Census Brew 2006, a run of 25,000 six-packs promoting census day on May 16.


Wait a minute I thought it was illegal NOT to participate in the Census.

So if all these folks between 18-24 aren't how does Stats Canada know that? Or are they guessing. And what does that mean for their so called "you must participate or face a fine or jail" threat? Not much guess it's as watered down as the beer.

Wait a minute this is kinda last minute ain't it. Wonder if this is a Tory perk to the beer boy in Calgary.

This story was edited May 6, 2006. See: Correction



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