madmax

The intent of eliminating the FST and moving the tax onto the consumer was to lower production costs, and create a large tax base from individuals for the government coffers. This move was successful in both operations. However, lowering taxes is not successful as a retention program for industry that wants to manufacture in foreign countries and bring in the same consumer goods into Canada. It creates a warehouse economy. Which is what the intent of the Free Trade Agreements and Globalization has been about since the early 70s when the talk of creating these agreements where being shaped in great detail. The Job losses created by technological change were long ago implemented as organizations that used to have 1000 employees could do the same work with under 250 and have higher productivity and profit margins. However, the job losses here are the relocation of these operations. A tax break actually helps the process as it frees up more capital. Ironically the place benefit is China economically as there economy grows because we didn't want value added jobs. At the same time, CHina is facing a downsizing from their old backwards industries, as the new efficient companie come in with lean production methods, high technology and a skilled workforce. I expect the US to use protectionist measures and their is enough capital and Political Capital to reinvest in the US and support tarrifs on foreign goods. It was a great tactic used by Ronald Reagan when the Japanese were overexpanding in the US market.

Political spinning from people who want to slur a party that has votes that other parties want. It is a favourite tactic of the two main political parties trying to create doubt regarding the legitimacy of a political party or government. A vote for the NDP is a vote to get an NDP MP elected. A vote for the CPC is a vote to get a CPC MP elected. A vote for the LPC is a vote to get an LPC MP elected. After the election, everything is about getting enough MPs on board to pass legislation.

You spend $50,000 EVERY YEAR? I highly doubt that, however you are a Federal Employee your wages are quite high, perhaps you can spend $50,000 every year. I save .02cents on my coffee. I pay the federal government .05Cents. The GST was brought in by Conservatives. All 7% and all at onetime. It is a tax to help government pay your wages. Knocking it down to 5% is just a joke, and is spinning the public. If it was so important to cut, then remove the Goods and Services tax completely. I never voted for it.

That is correct. Only Manufacturing had been on a steady decline along with forestry long before the recent decline in the other sectors named above. What I do know is that when the Dollar was at its 2002 rate, anyone manufacturing in Canada was doing extremely well in cross border trade and profit. What I cannot be so certain of, is should the dollar return to a rate near the 2002 level, if that would be enough to kick start the value added economy. The reason I state this is because the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in the past two years, came from very technical industries and that technology is unlikely to replant itself in Canada. To replenish the lost manufacturing sector would be extremely costly with a low dollar. The damage in the manufacturing sector is extreme, the subject of neglect and lack of understanding from those in government. I also think that sectors that currently perform better with the dollar at its current rate would face greater hardship should the dollar continue to fall. I look at it similar to the price of fuel. The prices have dramatically fallen since September. All the BS that raise Gas Prices beyond the extreme have come back to haunt those enveloped by greed. Now the lower prices of fuel should spark increased confidence in other sectors and lower operating costs, and more consumer spending as people have more money available for other forms of consumption. But I don't see it happening just yet. I see people are holding onto their money for the time being.

The CPC are in government and have spent far more then earned, thus eliminating surpluses and running deficits. The CPC are the last to talk. The LPC have a long record of Fiscal responsibility. That fiscal responsibility came with a price. As for the NDP, their fiscal track record is still superior to Conservative and Liberal Governments. People may believe the myths, and all parties have a proven fiscal Turkey. But when the beans are counted the NDP leads the way in fiscal management of government finances. It's all about talking, consulting and counting. Once the CPC backed down on their initiatives, they had NOTHING. The Harper Government had no courage to face the opposition parties with their fiscal presentation. They choose to quit. Just like the Harper Government choose to dissolve a functioning parliment in order to have an unnecessary election. Remember that costly unnecessary election that undermine the Legislation passed. It proved the legislation is toothless. A government not forced to have an election, held one anyways. Then a government being faced with losing power, after an election quits a 2nd time. MPs haven't had to work very hard since October. Great paychecks. He is liking his time off. Fun, travel and accomadation all courtesy of the taxpayer. While I am in favour of removing party funding, the sooner the better, it is still peanuts and now with those Happy Senators, the CPC can say they created 18 jobs, and more with support staff. Good for them Unfortuneately Senators and MPs are disconnected from the economy. Their entitlements come first. Mr Harper appointing Senators came first. not the economy.

That is my current gut feeling too.

No, it doesn't. That is political spin.

That's funny. Have you heard this one.. A vote for the NDP is a vote for the Conservatives? How about this... A vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Conservative Senators. A vote for the NDP is a vote to abolish the Senate.

Not in Seats but Jack has taken a party from Oblivion and not spoken of, to becoming coffeeshop talk. While Broadbent was more liked then Jack, Ed had stronger bases to draw from during his period. Ed Broadbent supports Jack Layton, which says alot since we hadn't seen much of Ed since he resigned as leader of the NDP. You never know..... He has nine lives. And has been successful in being heard through the noise, unlike any NDP leader since Ed Broadbent. When Harper dropped Martin as a dancing partner, Jack managed to work with the Martin Government. What reason has the Prime Minister given to have Mr. Layton side with him on a confidence motion? Jack knows how to count. Harper has failed to compromise. Mr. Harper uses push-pull strategy. I don't recall their being any formal talk on Party funding from the Harper Government. They never campaigned on it in recent elections. They never discussed it with other parties. It was to be put forth on the Monday, but then the Prime Minister Delayed the vote, then pulled it off the table, then prorogued (SUSPENDED PARLIMENT) from their duty and ability to formally debate policy. In the last election the LPC were Greenies, neither left nor right, just stupid with stupid policies adopted from the Green Party. The NDP finished ahead of the Liberals in BC, ALBERTA, SASK, MANITOBA, NORTHERN ONTARIO, and NS, but the LPC base is in Ontario where the NDP has never been as popular as they are today. People can think alot of things about Jack Layton, but he does get it. He also doesn't seem to pay attention to polls whereas the current Harper Government spends more money on polling then any previous government. The two men are polar opposites and yet the common ground between them has been missed, avoided, ignored on purpose. I believe it was the Prime Minister who blew off Layton shortly after the election. That is his choice. Layton isn't a pushover, and would compromise if there was something there. But I don't believe there is. The Prime Minister is looking for new a Dance Partner, and since the BQ have moved away from the CPC, the Prime Minister will pretend he is courting the LPC and Iggy. I don't know if Mr. Harper thinks Iggy has nice eyes:) They share wrong ideas, such as the war in Iraq, but you have to start somewhere. Perhaps that could be the first kiss when the government is allowed to go back to work. I am sure everyone will applaud the separtist the Prime Minister appointed to the Senate.

Putting CPC bagman in the Senate. Thus giving them all the Senate Luxuries, and a pay check for being a good CPC hack. Harper is a strong believer in patronage. And on top of this the Senate sometimes works for 72 days in an entire year.

The CPC have been misleading you pro-life supporters for a long time..... I expect it to continue and I expect you to keep on biting.

I think you see through the Iggy Spin.

Technically it is good for our manufacturing sector if our governments hadn't sat on the hands with their fingers up their butts. Companies that have picked up an left are not coming back. What has closed and declared bankruptcy is not coming back. I know many companies would be just as profitable today as they were a few years back, when foreign ownership was orchestrating their relocation. Today, with the low looney, low material costs, and low energy costs, these should be excellent factors for a resurgent manufacturing sector, for any manufacturer that still has customers....that can pay. Even Industry not affected greatly by the previous high dollar, energy costs and raw material costs, recently found themselves in trouble as their US purchasers couldn't pay because of the financial collapse of the banking sector in the US. Fact is, this government and the previous government, along with the Ontario Provincial Government have no Industrial Policy or Plan. Any such propoganda is mere posturing and 100% BS. Again the economic climate is right.... and the potential for people to be able to take immediate action on a Lower Looney, is far greater then the possibility of Manufacturers gambling longterm on a Low Canadian Dollar. We are positioned to be Post Industrial and the CPC were helpful in managing the decimation of the manufacturing sector. More to come.... and the dollar isn't going to be enough to turn the ship around.

Ignatieff is not extremely intelligent. He is well educated. What intelligence he does have is undermined by a lack of wisdom. When a critical decision needed to be made we have to be thankful that Neither Ignatieff or Harper were Prime Minister at the time of the Iraq conflict. While we may expect such solidarity from Mr. Harper to stand beside a country making the poorest decision in its history, during one of the most despicable and corrupt regimes, the mere fact that Ignatieff supported such an ignorant position, just shows that his intelligence isn't worth Jack Squat. This is the joker who commented on a land claims issue in Diane Finleys riding, that he could solve it in 6 months. And I am no fan of Diane Finley, or her MIA approach to Native Land Claims and the riding. Iggy is a goofball, and its just a matter of time before he proves it to everyone.

The entitlement defense.... Sounds like a load of BS to me. Sincerity is not a word one uses to describe the actions of the Prime Minister. The NDP doesn't have cronies to put in nor supports appointments to the Senate. The NDP supports the Abolition of the Senate. Mr. Harper is appointing separtists to the Senate. Something a Separtist couldn't achieve on their own. The Liberals can't talk much about the Senate. They are as bad as the Conservatives, but not as hypocritical, when it comes to their public position. The Senate isn't a ballot question for Canadians. I don't believe any party is in danger of losing votes regardless of their position on the Senate. It isn't a ballot question for me. I just think the Senate has to go...

Dion isn't making any appointments. Prime Minister Harper is making those appointments. Everyone should be disgusted with Mr Harper.

Mr. Canada got his threads mixed up and started talking about religion in a wages and benefit thread. When dealing with contraction, it is possible that there is no middle ground. That it is reasonable for Public Sector Employees to expect a wage increase. But that the position of the government... terrible fiscal management combined with a shrinking economy, and a growing gap between private and public sector wages are going to lead to concessions from the public sector. The public sector is going to come under scrutiny from the private sector. All levels of service are to be analysed and the wage gap will be addressed. Some people lean to helping the public sector. The more people become aware of the wages, benefits and the short number of hours worked, along with perks such as getting breakfast because you showed up for the "early 8:30am" meeting, the more they are unlikely to defend the public sector, when compared to their own situation.

Whatever it takes Lets get on with it.

Excellent Points. I believe that the NDP and Jack Layton share those concerns, same for their Provincial counterparts. Governments are good at handing out money if it increases their profile or popularity, but the devil is in the details. I haven't seen the same level of concern from Harper or Iggy, but we haven't seen the final proposal either. But your entire post, reflects my thoughts and similar concerns. We could easily be sent down the garden path.

The Conservative policies haven't changed, and aren't going to. WHo are you trying to kid? OR more importantly, why do the Conservatives continue to mislead the religious right into thinking they will do anything other then use them for votes?

I am not disagreeing with your assessment. I do not believe that the NDP would ever run less then a full slate of Candidates. I do not believe that the Liberals will run less then a Full Slate of Candidates... especially after the disaster in Central Nova. There Elizabeth May stunk up the place and did worse then an NDP candidate who faced off against all parties including an Liberal Candidate in Central Nova.

And this is the side most people don't talk about... Very interesting.

Deleted

You find a wage increase is "Draconian"?

Wages are falling across North America, on both sides of the border. The Public Sector will not be immune to these changes over the next 10 years. The changes are coming at a faster pace then most people can grasp and they will be here with us for a long time. Obviously Ottawa City Councillors, and teachers are making a significant amount of money, disproportionate to the workload they handle and will soon be out of the reality of private sector wages. THere was a time when a country or Province could sustain these well paying positions. Those days are a thing of the past in the new economy. I like politicians. I like many politicians. I didn't say "pay them little" I suggest we continue to pay them very well. And a 25% cut to wages would maintain a high standard of living for our civil servants. Simply keeping them inline with the private sector. Removing the Pension Plans and Benefits and allowing the employees to purchase their own is the way things are done today. You can't be serious. Encouraging Politicians to take "Extra Perks" because they have "TERRIBLE SALARY" Public sector employees and politicians do not have terrible salaries. They do get an increase. It is called a gold plated pension plan. Thanks for voting.