Conference Board of Canada: Economic Benefits of Tar Sands Hinge On Climate Inaction (via Desmogblog) By 2035 operators in Alberta’s tar sands expect to produce 5 million barrels of the world’s most environmentally dirty and energy intensive oil per day. Current daily production hovers around 2 million barrels. According to
Continue readingTag: Canadian economy
The Deadly Myths of Globalisation
What follows is the introduction to a talk I gave at the 3rd Innis Christie Lecture & Symposium in Labour and Employment Law. My sister was educated at the Dalhousie School of Law and I was Lucky enough when visiting her to attend a lecture by Innis Christie. I am
Continue readingImpolitical: Mulcair does Bay Street
Mulcair gave a speech on Friday to the Canadian Club on the NDP’s vision for economic growth. If you read through, I don’t think you’ll find much that is particularly visionary. The point was probably not to fly too many flags but rather to portray the Mulcair NDP as pro-business
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: Harper does it again: Undermining Canadian business and industry (this time on beef)
If you want to undermine Canadian beef at home and abroad in one fell swoop you only need to take away the long-standing trust people have held for the safety of our food industries. A fundamental trust that has been rebuilt from BSE in particular. And that undermining has been
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Alberta NDP’s Brian Mason lays claim to Tory Peter Lougheed’s legacy
Free of his moustache, Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason addresses his party’s 50th annual convention in Edmonton yesterday. Below: Federal NDP Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, who also spoke yesterday; former Alberta Conservative Premier Peter Lougheed. Freshly shorn of his trademark moustache, Alberta New Democratic Party Leader Brian Mason made the
Continue readingImpolitical: Maybe veterans are tired of wearing hats
So the Harper government has finally launched their transition plan for military members moving to civilian life: “Veterans Can Now Apply for Jobs through Helmets to Hardhats Canada.” Yes, from helmet to hardhat, narrowing the field of opportunity for highly skilled military personnel. This programme has been previously blogged about
Continue readingImpolitical: Tax cuts and economic growth
A new study in the U.S. is the latest to say that tax cuts do not positively relate to economic growth. David Leonhardt of the New York Times excerpts its conclusions in the Economix blog: The top income tax rates have changed considerably since the end of World War II.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Harper’s wish for war with Iran: an ill Tory wind that blows no good for Canada
Unlike Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Doge of the Most Serene Republic of Venice was prepared to receive the ambassadors of Persia. Below: Igor Gouzenko, Dr. Samuel Johnson and Winston Churchill. When Igor Gouzenko came in from the cold 67 years ago last Wednesday, Canada had an extremely serious and
Continue readingImpolitical: Joe Oliver’s natural resources new economics
Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver was in Toronto on Tuesday to give a speech and kick off the fall with some new economic data produced by his department. This is the press release version on the government website: “Minister Oliver Highlights Economic Impact of Canada’s Natural Resources.” There is also
Continue readingBullshit in absolutes: or how ‘liberal’* economists argue with themselves
We can perhaps amend an old Ethiopian saying to read “absolutes are for infants and kings”. It is catechism worth remembering when arguing with liberal economists. For theirs is not a just sport. In fact, one should never mix sport with justice. As Berlin said long ago (1958): Everything
Continue readingAlberta Diary: U.S. grain and seed ports will kill a few more Canadian jobs – with a little help from Stephen Harper
Bunge’s $200-million US grain port at Longview, Wash. Below, U.S. police and strikers scuffle at the port. Back in 2009, when the destruction of the Canadian Wheat Board was still just a twinkle in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s eye, work started on a $200-million US grain-handling terminal in the port
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Pure milk or pure ideology? Alberta MP attacks supply management
Milking it for all that it’s worth – not how it’s done any more. Below: Edmonton-St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber. ST. ALBERT, Alberta Brent Rathgeber, Member of Parliament for Edmonton St. Albert, has launched a third “attack” on the policies of the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But
Continue readingImpolitical: Housing market at tipping point?
Sleeper report: “Canadian home prices could fall 25 per cent.” More on this prediction by economist David Madani at Capital Economics in the Globe: “Overall, the willingness of buyers to pay these historically high house prices now looks to be proving fragile against the increasingly disappointing macroeconomic backdrop. The housing
Continue readingAlberta Diary: B.C.’s pipeline bargaining position stirs Alberta outrage, but makes political sense
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, left, negotiates with B.C. Premier Christy Clark, holding carrot, as seen by the Alberta media. Actual neo-conservative Western Canadian politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below Ms. Clark, Ms. Redford and former Tory insider Norman Spector. Christy Clark’s bargaining position in the squabble between British
Continue readingAlberta Diary: B.C. Bitumen Busters! Who ya gonna call? Greg Selinger?
Alberta and British Columbia Sheriffs see who can stomp the highest at the increasingly tense inter-provincial border near the disputed town of Field. B.C. and Alberta peace officers, of course, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Just for someone completely different, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger. Who ya gonna blame?
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald to shed more staff as newspapers struggle to survive
Peering through the fence at the newspaper business in 2012. Canadian newspapers may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Edmonton Journal editor in chief Lucinda Chodan. The newspaper industry was officially pronounced a dead man walking on Sunday, July 8, 2012. The declaration was made by no less an authority
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Risky theories… Dangerous economic experiments…. Can we afford Harper’s Conservatives?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper… (Creepy Voice): “Dangerous experiments and risky economic theories. Can we afford these Conservatives much longer?” Below: Leo de Bever and a youthful Paul Krugman. The Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and its Alberta branch plant known as the Wildrose Party continue to push risky
Continue readingImpolitical: Harper’s risky economic theories
There are a few items in the news today that run contrary to the constant spin we get from our Harper government spokespersons about the solidity of the omni-present Economic Action Plan and how all our possible economic troubles stem from abroad. First up: “Moody’s warns on mortgage debt.” After
Continue readingImpolitical: The Harper interview
A few thoughts on the big interview last night between Harper and Peter Mansbridge on the National… This interview seemed to have two parts to it. The primary focus was Europe, as it rightly should be. This took up more than half the interview. The European situation is a reflection
Continue readingPolitics and Entertainment: Banksters will be on a Desperate Prowl for the Rest of 2012
As I’ve suggested many times, the current global economic conditions were to be expected. We are in a static, no growth economy forever, the maximum growth hovering around 2%. for the foreseeable future. I could live with that, but market-driven neoliberals couldn’t, and they are the ones who, alas, control
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