Harper Defends NDP

The final days of Parliament can be summed up thus;

The Liberals; It's all the NDP's fault

The Conservatives; 13 years of Liberals doing nothing

The BQ; Fiscal Imbalance, Fiscal Imbalance, Fiscal Imbalance, Fiscal Imbalance, Fiscal Imbalance, Fiscal...

The NDP; Smog Made in Canada

Best line to close this session of parliament summing up the whole silly season, goes to the Harper who said this on Tuesday, June 2o.

Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but notice a pattern today. The Liberals seem to think that the NDP is the government. I do not know if we can allow the member for Toronto--Danforth to answer any of these questions, but what I can say is this. The Liberals seem worried that Canadians who want a left-wing party with principles are obviously not opting for the Liberal Party.

Well said sir, well said.



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Chicken Little Cries Labour Shortage

There is no labour shortage in Canada. There is however a push by the bosses to reduce workers wages so as to cut costs for expanding tar sands operations. So says the Conference Board of Canda.

The results will be a rapid increase in wages, and some projects may be cancelled or delayed, the report warned. "It may be time to consider expanding Canada's foreign workers program, which allows foreign labourers to work in Canada on a temporary basis."Alberta's labour shortfall could increase massively

The cost over-runs are a historical phenomena of poor management.Bechtel, Flour and other international engineering companies contracted to build these huge strip mines have done so with an open cheque book. Thus cost over-runs. A problem when you contract out your plant construction.

The labour shortages are ten years out, ample time to produce an effective apprenticeship program. Begining in high school for the majority of students who only graduate with a General Diploma.

But the real reason that the bosses are saying the sky is falling is that the building trades have only four years left on their unprecidented ten year collective agreements.

The Conference Board predicts that the Alberta labour crisis will occur that same year, 2010. Hmmm are they telegraphing the attitude at the bargaining table this far in advance. You bet. Anyone who would suggest a ten year contract for labour peace in order to contain costs will stoop to anything to reduce labour costs, but not wastage, because that's where the profit is.


Also See:

Alberta's Free Market In Labour

Neil Waugh Moves Left

The Labour Shortage Myth

AFL Agrees With Me

Lack of Planning Created Skills Shortage in Alberta

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The Road Out of Mandalay

Canada welcomes 810 Burmese refugees

Accepting Myanmar refugees signals immigration shift

This still does not absolve the Government from turning a blind eye to business as usual with Burma/Myanmar by Canadian corporations.

Economic collapse imminent?

Friday, 14 August, 1998

The US government argues that Burma is close to economic collapse partly because of sanctions. It points to falling foreign exchange reserves, a declining exchange rate (350 kyats to the dollar on the informal market, as opposed to the official rate of six), and strict limits on the export of capital abroad.

Still waiting for the imminent demise of the Burmese economy. Yep just sitting here tappin my toe, waiting. Its only been eight years.

Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company with very close links to the regime in Burma. As the largest foreign mining investor in Burma it operates the Monywa Copper mine in a joint venture with the regime. Rail and power infrastructure in the area of the mine was built using forced labour. The mine could be earning the regime over $40 million a year.

BURMA: As a part of their systematic campaign to pressure companies operating in Burma, the Canadian Labor Council (CLC) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) called for Canadian-based mining company Ivanhoe to withdraw from Burma. In a letter written to CEO of Ivanhoe, Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary said that Ivanhoe's relationship with the Burmese government in the Monywa copper mine helps supply, "funds for the coffers of a regime that has been irrefutably linked to forced labour and narcotics trafficking." ICEM is a trade union of twenty million people who work in mining all over the world. Ivanhoe said it would proceed with a US$280 million expansion of the Monywa mine. Also, the ICEM along with the US-based AFL-CIO spoke at a Shareholder's meeting of US-based Halliburton in June, to convince the company to pull out of Burma. Halliburton helped to construct the Yadana oil pipeline, which used forced labor and will provide the military dictatorship government of Burma with US$150 - US$400 million dollars for decades. Halliburton, who's former CEO is US Vice President Dick Cheney, has worked to oppose economic sanctions against Burma for its human rights violations. (Asiaweek, June 17, 2001, Press Release of CLC and ICEM, June 14 2001; Press Release, AFL-CIO and ICEM, May 15, 2001)

Two statements prior to the 2002 Ivanhoe Annual General Meeting on its position in Burma

Canadian Investment in Burma

Canadian Business and Burma

Stop Canadian Corporate Complicity with Burma's Military Regime




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House of Saud, House Of Cards

Guess who says this.....

“Passing over, for the present, all the evils and mischiefs which monarchy has occasioned in the world, nothing can more effectually prove its usefulness in a state of civil government than making it hereditary. Would we make any office hereditary that required wisdom and abilities to fill it? And where wisdom and abilities are not necessary, such an office, whatever it may be, is superfluous or insignificant.

Hereditary succession is a burlesque upon monarchy. It puts it in the most ridiculous light, by presenting it as an office which any child or idiot may fill. It requires some talent to be a common mechanic; but, to be a king, requires only the animal figure of man – a sort of breathing automaton”.

These are the words of Thomas Paine written in 1791. His logic and reasoning is as sound and pertinent now as it was then. But if Thomas Paine was alive and expressed similar sentiments in Saudi Arabia today, he would face imprisonment and torture. The very idea of republicanism which the founding fathers of United States so cherished is seen as subversive in Saudi Arabia, and is actively discouraged by the government.

When will the House of Saud feel safe?



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Tories Rally For Winnie

Not our Tories but British Tories, with a kick in the pants from Labour back benchers. Sorta like the current situation in the house over here, Tories do the right thing when kicked in the pants by the NDP.

British guards' bearskin hats may face ban
Conservative lawmaker Ann Widdecombe has now urged her party to support the motion aimed at replacing the bearskins with artificial substitutes. "Black bears, who are intelligent and curious animals, are slaughtered in Canada so that their skins may be used for ceremonial hats," Widdecombe wrote in a letter to her party colleagues on Thursday.

Now if only the Eeyores in the Harper government would remember that Winnie was short for Winnipeg the Bear. Perhaps we could save out endangered black bear population.

After all Winnie is as old as Queen Elizabeth. Winnie the Pooh turns 80

Christopher Robin and his "Winnie"	One of the original drawings by E.H. Shepard	Christopher and the real Winnie Ther Pooh
The bear was Christopher Robin's inspiration for calling his own teddy bear Winnie. Winnie is typically a female name, but Christopher Robin insisted his bear was a boy. In the first chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne writes the following: When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, "But I thought he was a boy?" "So did I," said Christopher Robin. "Then you can't call him Winnie?" "I don't." "But you said---" "He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what 'ther' means?" "Ah, yes, now I do," I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it is all the explanation you are going to get.

Also See: Bears



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Unlucky 13

Three Gaza children killed by Israeli air strike
AN Israeli air strike aimed at assassinating militants in the Gaza Strip has killed three children standing nearby, bringing to 13 the number of Palestinian civilians killed in attacks by Israeli helicopter gunships this month

No Comment. Just like the rest of the MSM.





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Hillary In Ottawa?

Did Hillary Clinton Attend Bilderberg Conference?

Did New York Senator and possible 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attend this past weekend's Bilderberg meeting in Ottawa Canada? Our inside sources coupled with what witnesses saw at the Brookestreet Hotel strongly suggest this to be the case.

Nothing sinister in this she was probably just up in Ottawa to keep an eye on hubby and that blond Liberal hussy; Belinda Stronach.

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Libertarian Youth For Labour

Yes you read that right. Pardon the pun. No its not a shadowy Trotskyist fifth column infiltrating the Libertarian movement, that was Murray Bookchin. Nope this is the blog of two libertarian youth from the US of A. And they have an interesting post today.

Five Reasons Government is Bad for Labor

1. Historical precedent. Most of the time governments have intervened in labor disputes, it's been to the detriment of the workers. Governments have forced workers back to their jobs, condoned violent strikebreaking efforts and rescinding support when labor needs it most..

And it just gets better with the other four. Especially the attack on taxes, which I agree with, they correctly point out that taxes reduces the effectiveness of pay and benefit increases.

There you go Libertarian Youth defending da woiking class and its organizations. Now if only the Blogging Tories were as broad minded. Especially those claiming to be libertarians.

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Here Comes The Sun

Let the Sunshine In.

Hail Apollo!
Hail Our Sun,
Whom I am
the Son of.

It is the Summer Solstice the longest day of the year. And the official begining of summer.


Stonehenge revellers 'feel the solstice'
Toronto Star, Canada - 2 hours ago
STONEHENGE, England — Thousands of dancing and drumming spectators cheered the summer solstice at Stonehenge as an orange sliver of sun rose over the Heel ...
Druids and New Age revelers greet longest day
CNN International - 3 hours ago
STONEHENGE, England (AP) -- Druids, partygoers and New Age revelers flocked to this ancient monument Tuesday, preparing to greet the summer solstice amid the ...


Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

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Industrial Ecology

I have commented here before about industrial ecology .

Since the turn of last century technologists have looked at sustainable industry which often clashed with the management theories of the Fordist production model.

Recently a U of T professor spoke on this at a libertarian conference in Ontario; The Reading Room

His work was on how the market-place can be environmentally friendly through industrial ecology. It's an interesting paper well worth the read.

“Modern conditions make it almost impossible materially to cut production and
distribution of expense for the majority of commodities; hence one of the most
important opportunities for gaining competitive advantage, or even for enabling an industry or individual business to maintain its position in this new competition, is to reduce its manufacturing expense by creating new credits for products previously unmarketable...”

Can capitalism green itself. Of course. Simply look at WWII where rationing, recycling and reuse along with a command and control economic model was the method of production in North America.Which is why industrial ecology is only a solution within existing capitalism, for a real ecology of community and worker control we have to move beyond IE to Social Ecology.

But will it? Not likely. Because it takes a state capitalist political economy to enforce it. And with the current fiscal free fall in the market place, where more money being created is more important than long term production, it is not likely to happen soon enough.

A tip o' the blog to BBS for this.


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