Newspaper Endorsements

[independent]

How do you know that?

Contrast that to the situation faced by GM and Chrysler. They are forced to look at a merger or go bust. Historically, greedy American and Canadian unions have cared more about building their own empire than properly protecting the jobs of their members. When unions win large pay increases for their members they raise their union dues and proceed to bloat their own establishments. Obscenely high wages eat into the companies' bottom line and bring them to the brink of bankruptcy. It's no wonder these companies look outside Canada for its workforce. It's the only way they can remain competitive. When the auto industry in Ontario finally shuts down completely, much of the blame can be placed squarely at the feet of greedy auto unions.

Similar fates have happened in the manufacturing industries in Canada for similar reasons as in the auto industry and it will only get worse.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081011/bs_nm/...tos_chrysler_gm

Complaining about underpayed workers and companies moving their operations to other countries shows how uninformed you are and is total crap.

Gm was one of the riches corporations in the world. They were protected for years by tariffs. Foreign auto makers were making far better cars and GM gained a bad reputation for quality. When Tariffs were removed they lost market share too Foreign auto makers. They have far too many makes and divisions. There part suppliers are all over the place resulting in high cost of transportation. GM spent money investing in Hummer and gas guzzling vehicles instead of looking ahead at the market and building more fuel efficient vehicles. Right now at my local dealer they have half a lot of trucks they can not sell and you have too wait to get their more fuel efficient vehicles they finally got onto the market. You certainly can blame things on the Union but it is totally unfair to say that they are the only ones to blame.

Edited October 12, 2008 by independent

[kengs333]

How do you know that?

Contrast that to the situation faced by GM and Chrysler. They are forced to look at a merger or go bust. Historically, greedy American and Canadian unions have cared more about building their own empire than properly protecting the jobs of their members. When unions win large pay increases for their members they raise their union dues and proceed to bloat their own establishments. Obscenely high wages eat into the companies' bottom line and bring them to the brink of bankruptcy. It's no wonder these companies look outside Canada for its workforce. It's the only way they can remain competitive. When the auto industry in Ontario finally shuts down completely, much of the blame can be placed squarely at the feet of greedy auto unions.

Similar fates have happened in the manufacturing industries in Canada for similar reasons as in the auto industry and it will only get worse.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081011/bs_nm/...tos_chrysler_gm

Complaining about underpayed workers and companies moving their operations to other countries shows how uninformed you are and is total crap.

So would you drive a car manufactured by someone being paid $8.75/h?

Corporations fail because they produce products for which there is insufficient demand. If they produced better products, then they wouldn't be in toruble. This has nothing to do with taxes or wages. Well, except maybe those overinflated executive salaries.

Edited October 12, 2008 by kengs333

[BC_chick]

There is a whole lotta gloating going on on this thread from the same ol' bunch who are normally crying about the Left-wing media. Oh well, so much for that theory....

Maybe now His Highness, the Honourable Stephen Harper, will also grace us at will with his presence instead of shunning the media for their blatant and despicable bias and lack of journalistic integrity.

[jdobbin]

an't get the hang of this Google thing, but surely the CBC is foursquare behind Mr Haprper?

Really? Where was their endorsement?

And doesn't the right wing say that no one watches the CBC so how influential can it be?

[capricorn]

You certainly can blame things on the Union but it is totally unfair to say that they are the only ones to blame.

Read my post. I said "some" of the blame is attributable to unions. But I still maintain that there is more to protecting workers' jobs than to hold out for outrageous wage increases. The unions must accept some of the responsibility for the closure of manufacturing companies and for job losses, especially damaging to Ontario and Quebec.

[Jobu]

Ahhhhh, The LIBERAL BIASED MEDIA in action.

It makes the endorsements all the more impressive, doesn't it?!

[Topaz]

Read my post. I said "some" of the blame is attributable to unions. But I still maintain that there is more to protecting workers' jobs than to hold out for outrageous wage increases. The unions must accept some of the responsibility for the closure of manufacturing companies and for job losses, especially damaging to Ontario and Quebec.

There are so many unions you can't club that all together. There one in my area that back in 2003 they union decided to bring in two-tier wages, meaning the new guys make half what the older guys make, they give up cost of living, drugs went for 2.00 to 5.00 and they are working 10 hrs days, 40-50 hrs weekly. All because the US company said take this or we are gone, so they took thinking they would save some money for the company. Two years later the company announces they bought another company to expand their business. I would think the company know that the next contract which is next summer, things will alittle stressful for everyone.

[capricorn]

I would think the company know that the next contract which is next summer, things will alittle stressful for everyone.

Topaz, there will be plenty of stress to go around. Let's hope the landing isn't too rough.

[cybercoma]

UPDATED

These are the endorsements I have found. Any others?

Conservatives

Brantford Expositor: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1243512

Calgary Herald: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/t...32fc1ac&p=1

Calgary Sun: http://calsun.canoe.ca/Comment/POV/2008/10...058606-sun.html

Economist: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayst...ory_id=12381439

Edmonton Journal: http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...43-4c8d37aa6f38

Edmonton Sun: http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Comment...060476-sun.html

Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...NStory/politics

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: http://news.therecord.com/Opinions/article/426593

Montreal Gazette: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...61-513309031805

National Post: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=866505

Ottawa Citizen: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/views/...4f-2b00eba5d867

Ottawa Sun: http://www.ottawasun.com/Comment/Editorial...057061-sun.html

Toronto Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editoria...059606-sun.html

Vancouver Province: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/edi...49-58706fa0d773

Vancouver Sun: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/st...9c-d0fb9184f638

Windsor Star http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/edi...3a-6f41c8673851

Winnipeg Free Press: http://winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/sto...p-4880617c.html

Winnipeg Sun: http://www.winnipegsun.com/Comment/Editori...057401-sun.html

Liberals

Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/515895

No Endorsement

La Presse

Victoria Times Colonist: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...af-7c63a3127ffa

Damn Liberal media!

[capricorn]

Damn Liberal media!

How can all but the Toronto Star get it so wrong.

[nothinarian]

Damn Liberal media!

http://www.canwest.com/brands/newspapers.asp

http://thefilter.ca/articles/canada/aspers...-a-toried-love/

The Cons - to name a few Asper friendly initiatives:

hooray - are laissez faire on media concentration since taking power allowing Aspers unbridled growth;

hooray - have committed 12 million annually for Human Rights museum in Winnipeg (championed by Aspers); hooray - have ushered Harper around in their helicopter;

hooray - have senior executives who advised on the transition team in 2006;

hooray - have senior executives who ran and continue to run for the Conservatives

Surprise, surprise... and all their papers endorse the Conservatives

Go figure

Before anybody brings up Izzy's connection to Libs I don't care...

just remember there is no objectivity in our media and the existing government is as unethical as the last

:angry:

[shoegazer]

OK. Because I just pointed you to a recent labour survey that effectively confirms the numbers, if not exactly then certainly to the same degree. Of course, that was never the point.

And on that note, what about the point I was making, that doesn't depend on what the figure is or might be, whether it's 50% or 100%? Surely you would agree that if we eliminated all corporations in Canada we would have a bit of a problem on our hands?

You can focus on 90%, I will focus on the fact that we are the #1 economy in the G7 for a reason, despite the best efforts of the left to turn this nation into a disastrous cesspool of recession and unemployment.

Jobu Your point is actually both factually wrong and incorrect on a logical level as well. Even if Corporations did employ 90% of Canadians - they don't - it's a meaningless comment, yet you tried to use it to back up an even more erroneous comment, that being that Canada needs Corporations and if we had a different corporate taxation regime, that we wouldn't have corporations.

That comment quite simply is BS. Firstly as some have already pointed out, the public sector accounts for about 16-17% of the Canadian workforce. Of the remaining private workforce 10% are sole proprietorships and partnership and this is based on Revenue Canada Income Statistics for 2006. But even that is less important than the following. More than 64% of Canadian are employed by small to medium size businesses, those with less that 100 (48%) and 500 (16%) employees respectively and NOT large foreign owned corporations. And this is significant because these ones are unlikely to be leaving Canada even under a different tax regime, not that I'm sitting here advocating such but you're quite simply wrong in your entire thesis.

Now some large corporations MIGHT leave but business taxes are only a small part of the competitive environment that businesses look for in deciding where to locate. They also look for a skilled/educated workforce, Canada regularly ranks high on this; the look for a place with low location costs, land/rent/building, electricity and utilities, communication, where Canada ranks 2nd best in KMPG's analysis of business location costs; they look at labour costs and Canada's labour costs are also highly competitive; they look for stable government and regulatory environment; infrastructure and transportation costs; nationalised health care, which lowers the cost of doing business by not having to provide some aspects of employee health plans (this is a major advantage of Canada over the US as far as automotive manufacturing). The number of cost factors that impact a corporation's choice of location is well beyond simply corporate taxes.

So lets look at what happens when one lowers corporate taxes, which you can thank the Liberal government for starting, who brought in a number of tax cuts in 2000 and whose corporate tax cut schedule, the Conservatives used recently, though sped up, to make their cuts; that is to say the Liberals had already planned for the cuts in earlier budgets and would have implemented them had Martin not lost the election. But moving beyond that, those who advocate the ever lower corporate tax case OFTEN, hell almost invariably point to Ireland as a country who has benefited from corporate taxes, with and ever rising GDP, which on a per capita basis is higher than Canada's. Wonderful, except it's an illusion of success though they have had some. First GDP is a fairly crap measure, which was never intended to be used to do cross country comparisons but ignoring that it paints a distorted picture, or a "Grossly Distorted Picture" as the Economist called. In fact Ireland's GNI, is far far lower than their GDP and the reason is most of Irelands GDP is due to money that merely flow through the country due to the number of shell head offices that are located there for tax purposes. Zug in Switzerland is much the same story. In fact Zug has one corporate head office for every 3 citizens located within and a corporate tax of 5.8% (IIRC). On the other hand we have Mexico which has low corporate and personal income taxes yet it has huge unemployment problems, more than 40% of it's population living below poverty, a significant degree of income disparity and an inconsistent and broken infrastructure.

Do I think we should be raising corporate taxes? Not particularly, but the basis of your entire argument is incredibly weak. And lets address the last point. It was the Liberals, largely due to Paul Martin who turned this country around; who cut income and corporate taxes, who regained Canada's AAA debt rating after it was lost under Mulroney. It was under Chretien/Martin's reign that Canada was a continued leader in the G7 and the reason we are in the position we are today. They positioned Canada to be in the position we are to possibly weather to ensuing storm and it had NOTHING to do with Harper.

Under Harper spending has increased at a rate of 7% annualised; and don't say it was to restore transfers, Paul Martin did that in the 2004 budget, with a $12 billion increase over fiscal 2003-04.

Harper has done a few decent things during his time in power but the man hardly deserves the credit the right likes to give him and his spending has been excessive, well above revenue growth. Oh and as to the current fiscal surplus you were referring to, the $2.9 billion, well lets not omit the fact that there was $15.5 billion of off-balance sheet borrowing during the first 4 months of this fiscal year which INCREASED the federal debt.

[kengs333]

http://www.canwest.com/brands/newspapers.asp

http://thefilter.ca/articles/canada/aspers...-a-toried-love/

The Cons - to name a few Asper friendly initiatives:

hooray - are laissez faire on media concentration since taking power allowing Aspers unbridled growth;

hooray - have committed 12 million annually for Human Rights museum in Winnipeg (championed by Aspers); hooray - have ushered Harper around in their helicopter;

hooray - have senior executives who advised on the transition team in 2006;

hooray - have senior executives who ran and continue to run for the Conservatives

Surprise, surprise... and all their papers endorse the Conservatives

Go figure

Before anybody brings up Izzy's connection to Libs I don't care...

just remember there is no objectivity in our media and the existing government is as unethical as the last

:angry:

Yeah, but prominent members of the Jewish community made a public shift to the Conservatives because of his pro-Israel stance during the war they lost awhile back. So this all shouldn't come as a surprise.

[nothinarian]

Yeah, but prominent members of the Jewish community made a public shift to the Conservatives because of his pro-Israel stance during the war they lost awhile back. So this all shouldn't come as a surprise.

Absolutley but after this whole orchestrated effort to woo the Aspers had begun

It may have sealed the deal but this planed strategy was in play on a number of fronts

[Argus]

Absolutley but after this whole orchestrated effort to woo the Aspers had begun

It may have sealed the deal but this planed strategy was in play on a number of fronts

I have no idea what you're talking about in referencing an "orchestrated effort to woo the aspers". It sounds like one of those tinfoil cap conspiracies the loonies come up with.

The Aspers have always been Liberal. That started to change as creeping anti-semitism rose higher within the Liberal party, and the party began to take more and more anti-Israeli positions at the UN.

[Argus]

You didn't say private sector. You said corporations and you said 90%.

I am saying you made a claim, didn't back it up with a link, any citation and expected everyone to swallow it. Then you responded by attacking the the person asking for a citation.

Is it even remotely POSSIBLE for you to belabour a point more? Is it possible to be more petty and childish than you have been in post after post after post harping on an utterly inconsequential number? I, frankly, don't think so.

I believe his original post was in response to some fruitloop wanting to destroy corporations. His response was to ask what was wrong with them other than they employ 90% of Canadians. That certainly is an incorrect figure. But the number used is pretty damned tangential to the actual and obvious point - which was "what's wrong with corporations other than they employ a lot of Canadians".

But I guess if you have nothing of consequence to say, like desperately flailing away at pushing the Liberal Party's ludicrous economic policies, this is what you do to waste time until your inevitable electoral defeat tomorrow night.

[Oleg Bach]

Keep in mind that anti-semitism is the last and desperate tool used by those who falter and seek a tradtional scape goat - At present Muslims are the new Jew - but that may not last for ever - The Jewish community is for the most part is secular..the tin foil hat types that believe that "the Jews" are responsible for all ills are fools - The Jewish community at the higher levels are expert diversionists and bureacrats but they are not in control...It is still what is left of the Christian elite internationally that wield the power - but - they have a problem these days - They and their decendants are victims of their own social engineering - THEY are also secularized via ossmosis. Faith and hope keep a system going..I just hope that all involved return to their roots and tap into the power that got them their to begin with - When men become so powerful that they start to behave as gods and demi-gods - they fall in their face...Remember Alexander the Great - Once his ego grew to the point of invincablity - he caught a cold and died...law - is paramount to the sustaining of the human race. Justice is the life blood.

[Bryan]

Damn Liberal media!

The majority of the mainstream media, including the National Post, have been actively campaigning for the Liberals during this whole election. With the obvious exception of the comrades at the Star, virtually everyone else -- even Stephen Harper's most vocal opponents -- have eventually admitted that he's the best guy for the job.

The only reason it's likely to be a minority, is precisely because the media has been propping up Dion as if he was a legitimate candidate.

[jdobbin]

Is it even remotely POSSIBLE for you to belabour a point more? Is it possible to be more petty and childish than you have been in post after post after post harping on an utterly inconsequential number? I, frankly, don't think so.

Is it even possible for you to keep your nose out of something that you are not even involved with? A claim was made and I asked for citation and got a childish response. You have just compounded that childishness with another one of your angry, frothy mouthed, knuckle dragging, attack mode replies.

I believe his original post was in response to some fruitloop wanting to destroy corporations. His response was to ask what was wrong with them other than they employ 90% of Canadians. That certainly is an incorrect figure. But the number used is pretty damned tangential to the actual and obvious point - which was "what's wrong with corporations other than they employ a lot of Canadians".

Inconsequential to you but if someone wants to make a point with a number like that coming out of right field, I expect them to do better than reply with "sad" when asked for a citation. The fact that you have decided to jump to the defence of this person rather providing the correct number is beyond me.

But I guess if you have nothing of consequence to say, like desperately flailing away at pushing the Liberal Party's ludicrous economic policies, this is what you do to waste time until your inevitable electoral defeat tomorrow night.

Ah, the real reason for you jumping into this thread is clear: To continue your furious attacks on anyone you disagree with by using the vein popping shout from the tree tops red faced sputtering that we have all come to know and love.

Edited October 13, 2008 by jdobbin

[Mad_Michael]

Is it even remotely POSSIBLE for you to belabour a point more? Is it possible to be more petty and childish than you have been in post after post after post harping on an utterly inconsequential number? I, frankly, don't think so.

I believe his original post was in response to some fruitloop wanting to destroy corporations. His response was to ask what was wrong with them other than they employ 90% of Canadians. That certainly is an incorrect figure. But the number used is pretty damned tangential to the actual and obvious point - which was "what's wrong with corporations other than they employ a lot of Canadians".

But I guess if you have nothing of consequence to say, like desperately flailing away at pushing the Liberal Party's ludicrous economic policies, this is what you do to waste time until your inevitable electoral defeat tomorrow night.

As one who follows Canadian politics and would like to participate at a Canadian political forum, I must say that your posts at this forum are one of the main reasons I don't bother posting at this forum (there are others as well).

I just drop by this forum once every few months to see if it is still as toxic, partisan and uninformative as it has been in the past. When I see your post here, I'm assured that it is.

[nothinarian]

I have no idea what you're talking about in referencing an "orchestrated effort to woo the aspers". It sounds like one of those tinfoil cap conspiracies the loonies come up with.

The Aspers have always been Liberal. That started to change as creeping anti-semitism rose higher within the Liberal party, and the party began to take more and more anti-Israeli positions at the UN.

I would like to assume that you are joking because your response is hilarious

Your naievetÉ is charming and sweet - please keep that perspective - it is truly refreshing

Shouldn`t somebody so innocent be a Left Wing supporter as it is clear you haven`t grown up to embrace the real world´- Do you actually believe that a master plan to make Canada a more conservative nation(let me guess you think that is a conspiracy as well) does not include a media component

[jdobbin]

The Aspers have always been Liberal. That started to change as creeping anti-semitism rose higher within the Liberal party, and the party began to take more and more anti-Israeli positions at the UN.

Izzy Asper remained a Liberal to the day he died and a supporter of Paul Martin.

David Asper has been a card carrying Tory supporter of Harper for several years. He is the one that guides the policy direction of Canwest owned papers and that is reflected in the tone of the papers which have endorsed Harper three times.

If you have a citation indicating that Asper joined the Tories for the reasons you say, please post it. He has written many editorials so I am sure if it is there, you will find it. The claim you make for his decision is unsupported.

[Mad_Michael]

Isn't Izzy Asper just another 'crony-capitalist' that Canada seems to produce so many of?

(crony capitalists are those that owe their private fortunes to having political connections)

Without a doubt, judging by his policy support, Izzy has to be the most 'conservative-right-wing' liberal supporter in the nation.

[nothinarian]

Izzy Asper remained a Liberal to the day he died and a supporter of Paul Martin.

David Asper has been a card carrying Tory supporter of Harper for several years. He is the one that guides the policy direction of Canwest owned papers and that is reflected in the tone of the papers which have endorsed Harper three times.

If you have a citation indicating that Asper joined the Tories for the reasons you say, please post it. He has written many editorials so I am sure if it is there, you will find it. The claim you make for his decision is unsupported.

´http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080214.wcomartinopen14/BNStory/specialComment/home

So media is moving to thge right in concert with Harpers stated goal of making Canada a more conservative nation - Coincidence right Dorothy

[kengs333]

The Aspers have always been Liberal. That started to change as creeping anti-semitism rose higher within the Liberal party, and the party began to take more and more anti-Israeli positions at the UN.

Define "anti-Israel" and explain to me how taking a particular stand on Israel's social and foreign policy constitutes "anti-semitism". Is Israel a state or a race?