Thursday, December 01, 2005
Another Harper Gaffe
I love it. Who is running the Conservative media war room Bozo the clown? Global Television has two TVspots one about Harper failing to introduce his Quebec all star team and the other about the media having to chase a Tory candidate for an interview during the scrum. This is hilarious. Harper (doesn't) introduce Tory candidates
CBC Poll-It's Health Care Stupid.
The CBC /Environics poll shows that Health Care remains the top issue with Canadians this election, as it has been in previous elections. It also shows that 66% of Canadians feel SSM is a settled issue, and that the three main parties NDP, Liberals and Conservatives are neck and neck when it comes to honesty in government. However;
- Almost three-quarters of Canadians asked said they don't expect politicians to keep their promises once they're in power.
- 56 per cent expressed little or no confidence at all in federal political leaders.
- 63 per cent said all the federal political parties are pretty much the same when it comes to honesty and integrity - yet 94 per cent said honesty and integrity in government are either somewhat or very important in determining how they plan to vote.
Wal Mart Exploits Child Labour
Taking a page from Nike and its famous corporate code of conduct, Wal-Mart is now claiming to have changed its evil ways and is no longer exploiting child labour in the third world. And just like Nike, Wal-Marts self imposed code of conduct isn't wortyh the paper its written on.The truth of the matter is always different than the corporate press release. What sounds good on paper, is just that, paper.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is promoting a corporate code of conduct that it calls one of the strictest in the industry. But an investigation by SRC, the French-language service of the CBC, casts doubt on the company's capacity to enforce that code in dealing with Third World countries.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is promoting a corporate code of conduct that it calls one of the strictest in the industry. But an investigation by SRC, the French-language service of the CBC, casts doubt on the company's capacity to enforce that code in dealing with Third World countries.
For less than $50 per month, workers in Bangladesh knit, sew and pack clothes for sale around the world, and some garments end up at Wal-Mart stores in Canada.
SRC journalists posed as buyers in the Canadian garment industry so they could videotape inside factories in Bangladesh with hidden cameras.
In one factory, typical of many in the country, children were busy with lower-skill tasks. In badly lit, dirty and overheated workshops, young boys were everywhere.
A label reading Simply Basic, one of Wal-Mart's in-house brand names along with the number CA 28885, the corporate ID of Wal-Mart Canada, was seen in the factory.
The same factory also produces Wal-Mart's corporate T-shirt for Canada.
The factory manager told SRC that the children are working on domestic production.
"They do not work on export garments, like Wal-Mart's," said Liakot Patwary. "I can give you [a] guarantee."
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But after filling many orders, Patwary said he had never met inspectors from the company and Wal-Mart had not visited the factory.
When shown the images from the report, Wal-Mart explained that the factories were subcontractors with no direct business link with Wal-Mart. Still, the company's representative in Montreal acknowledged the problem.
Yep Just Do It....exploit child labour but blame it on the subcontractors, just like Nike does........
Still Radical after all these years
Today I turn 51 and must say that all the predictions, when I was younger, that I would mellow with age, go conservative, become 'the man', failed to come true. Kicking Establishment butt for 38 years. Yep I was once a young radical, come to think of it I still am.
TODAY'S FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
TODAY'S FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
- Martin Klaproth
chemist (1743) - Marie Tussaud
modeler in wax (1760) - Walter Alston
baseball manager (1911) - Minoru Yamasaki
architect (1912) - Mary Martin
singer, actress (1913) - Woody Allen
actor, writer, and director (1935) - Lee Trevino
golfer (1939) - Richard Pryor
comedian, actor (1940) - Bette Middler
singer, actress (1945)
Tory Opportunism
Reform/Alliance/Conservative Edmonton East MP Peter Goldring's opportunism knows no bounds.
He has issued a press release denouncing the controversial Etobicoke-Lakeshore Liberal candidate Michael Ignatieff.
Hmmm, now why would he care about a Liberal, even such a high profile one, running in Hogtown?
Well their ridings share something in common, both have lots of Ukrainians in them. And low and behold the Liberal candidate in Edmonton East is Ukrainian.
I love this quote though; "Mr. Ignatieff is descended from Russian royalty,” said Goldring
I thought Goldring and the rest of the anti-Bolshevik right whingnuts loved the Tzar and Russian Royality.
A tip o the blog to Daveberta for this. He also noted that NDP looks like it might take second place in some Edmonton ridings since the Liberals have been so slow off the mark to get anyone nominated. See I am not the only one who says Redmonton ain't a sure thing for the Conservatives or Liberals.
He has issued a press release denouncing the controversial Etobicoke-Lakeshore Liberal candidate Michael Ignatieff.
Hmmm, now why would he care about a Liberal, even such a high profile one, running in Hogtown?
Well their ridings share something in common, both have lots of Ukrainians in them. And low and behold the Liberal candidate in Edmonton East is Ukrainian.
I love this quote though; "Mr. Ignatieff is descended from Russian royalty,” said Goldring
I thought Goldring and the rest of the anti-Bolshevik right whingnuts loved the Tzar and Russian Royality.
A tip o the blog to Daveberta for this. He also noted that NDP looks like it might take second place in some Edmonton ridings since the Liberals have been so slow off the mark to get anyone nominated. See I am not the only one who says Redmonton ain't a sure thing for the Conservatives or Liberals.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Jobs Not Tax Cuts
The issue in this election has to be jobs. Election front runners promise tax cuts
As manufacturing declines in North America its impact on the industrial working class in Southern Ontario is devistating. Not only on those currently being laid off but those who have retired and rely on their pensions and long term benefits for their daily bread. The impact on the local economy is is increased personal and business bankruptcies.
Canadian job cuts highlight decline of North American manufacturing "The real story is what doesn't happen in the headlines; it's the five or 10 jobs that are lost each week or each month and eventually they really tend to add up."
In the last two weeks we have had announcements of the pending layoffs of 6717 people. Literally a small town wiped off the face of the map.
Tax Cuts have not paid for the technology upgrades to make these companies competitive. They have been invested in the market in order to make quick profits off high interest rates, meanwhile Canadian workers lose their jobs. As do workers in all the advanced industrialized countries, capitalism functions the same world wide. This election the issue for workers has to be jobs and pension security.
While jobs are booming in the West and in the North in resource extraction whether Tar Sands in Alberta or Diamond mines in the NWT, these construction jobs are temporary and the actual plant workforce is small and will not be working for a number of years yet.
As the Liberals and Conservatives promise more tax cuts for corporations and Income Trusts, ask them how these are going to guarntee jobs for Canadians.
Cause they don't right now.
As manufacturing declines in North America its impact on the industrial working class in Southern Ontario is devistating. Not only on those currently being laid off but those who have retired and rely on their pensions and long term benefits for their daily bread. The impact on the local economy is is increased personal and business bankruptcies.
Canadian job cuts highlight decline of North American manufacturing "The real story is what doesn't happen in the headlines; it's the five or 10 jobs that are lost each week or each month and eventually they really tend to add up."
In the last two weeks we have had announcements of the pending layoffs of 6717 people. Literally a small town wiped off the face of the map.
Tax Cuts have not paid for the technology upgrades to make these companies competitive. They have been invested in the market in order to make quick profits off high interest rates, meanwhile Canadian workers lose their jobs. As do workers in all the advanced industrialized countries, capitalism functions the same world wide. This election the issue for workers has to be jobs and pension security.
While jobs are booming in the West and in the North in resource extraction whether Tar Sands in Alberta or Diamond mines in the NWT, these construction jobs are temporary and the actual plant workforce is small and will not be working for a number of years yet.
As the Liberals and Conservatives promise more tax cuts for corporations and Income Trusts, ask them how these are going to guarntee jobs for Canadians.
Cause they don't right now.
What Does It All Mean?
Poll finds Ontario support unchanged for federal parties
Last updated Nov 29 2005 11:22 AM EST
CBC News
Canada's three main political parties each enjoy about the same amount of support in Ontario now as they did coming out of the last federal election, a CBC poll has found. The Environics poll found the Liberals have the support of 44 per cent of Ontario voters. The Conservatives have the support of 32 per cent, while 22 per cent say they support the New Democrats. Coming just as the current campaign begins, the poll results can't be considered an accurate prediction of how the 2006 election will end, said Environics vice-president Donna Dasko. However, Dasko said, "it certainly looks like a deja vu right now." Environics interviewed 626 Ontario residents between Nov. 21 and Nov. 25. The results are considered accurate within four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Last updated Nov 29 2005 11:22 AM EST
CBC News
Canada's three main political parties each enjoy about the same amount of support in Ontario now as they did coming out of the last federal election, a CBC poll has found. The Environics poll found the Liberals have the support of 44 per cent of Ontario voters. The Conservatives have the support of 32 per cent, while 22 per cent say they support the New Democrats. Coming just as the current campaign begins, the poll results can't be considered an accurate prediction of how the 2006 election will end, said Environics vice-president Donna Dasko. However, Dasko said, "it certainly looks like a deja vu right now." Environics interviewed 626 Ontario residents between Nov. 21 and Nov. 25. The results are considered accurate within four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Say It Ain't So
I am Shocked, simply Shocked! Nunavut MLA says companies pad books with phoney hirings A member of the Nunavut legislature says companies are hiring Inuit then paying them to stay home in order to thwart a government rule aimed at boosting native employment.
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