Canada's Government goes on vacation during crises

[ironstone]

The Canadian economy is NOT at this time officially in recession,it's not booming either,but neither is the economy of any G-8 member.Statscan figures released Monday show Canada's GDP increased 0.3% in the third quarter after remaining essentially flat over the first half of the year.In manufacturing,the value of new orders are up 6.1% over the previous year,retail trade is up 5.8%.

There are certainly tougher times ahead for our economy no doubt,but unlike the U.S. our system is basically on pretty solid footing.The world economic problems are a result of unsound lending practices,starting(according to what I have read)way back with Democratic President Jimmy Carter.In a nutshell,giving credit to people that don't deserve it.This practice seems to have been snowballing for decades now.None of these problems are directly or indirectly the fault of Stephen Harper,to suggest otherwise is foolish.

With regards to Dion,virtually everything coming from him must be taken with a very large grain of salt.Let's go back to September shall we?Dion told journalist Mike Duffy,under no circumstances would the Liberals have "a coalition with the NDP-a party that would be damaging to our economy,period".I defy anyone to credibly demonstrate why the exact opposite is now is now apparently in the immediate best interest of Canadians.

Later I'll point out the flaws in the ridiculous argument that the coalition is the right option because collectively(or will it be the collective?) they represent a majority of Canadians.Right now,I'm hungry so I'm gonna eat!

[Oleg Bach]

The twitish communist party of canada are delighted with the coalition idea...I guess with their international and historic record they will bring about peace and justice and prosperity for all? Listening to Canadians call into the local radio talk shows - It was clear that the (and this is in the spirit of love) stupid people support the idea of a collective coaltional government....and those people are not aware of law - nor are they aware of the out come - they just hate conservatives because they believe that all conservatives are rich and greedy...and the dumb ones want a piece of the Canadian pie ------------Great! We will have all of the banking community resign immediately and hand over the positions to the communist party ----------they will make us all rich!

[-VMG-]

That is a pretty arrogant statement Oleg.

Considering a lot of the conservatives don't seem to understand how our democracy even works... i could call them the stupid ones... but it's all perspective.

I could make a bet you don't actually know what communism is... and would simply say... it's what the soviet union was.... but i don't want to make that assumption because i don't know you.

In reality most conservatives likely do not know what socialism is, and when they think they see it they throw it in as communism....

Where people go wrong is when they mix Theoretical ideologies with Empirical ideologies... and bunch them together.

[Topaz]

What is going to happen the next time when a confidence vote is called??? Is Harper going to run the GG again and come up with some excuse why he shouldn't honour the vote? Ever since Harper has appeared in the Commons, things have been turned upside down and now Canadians are paying all these members thousands of $$$ to do what?? Vacation time? IF Harper can't do his job as a minority PM then maybe HE should go.

[blueblood]

What is going to happen the next time when a confidence vote is called??? Is Harper going to run the GG again and come up with some excuse why he shouldn't honour the vote? Ever since Harper has appeared in the Commons, things have been turned upside down and now Canadians are paying all these members thousands of $$$ to do what?? Vacation time? IF Harper can't do his job as a minority PM then maybe HE should go.

No he's going to the GG and ask for an election. Tory majority, what's this 44% in the polls? Mission Accomplished!!!

[stignasty]

What is going to happen the next time when a confidence vote is called???

If it's a Liberal government and the GG grants a suspension of Parliament so they can delay a confidence vote the conservatives will have no one to blame but themselves.

[madmax]

1982....Is Trudeau Back?

tra la la la la

OTTAWA — Canada lost almost 71,000 jobs last month - the worst single-month drop in a quarter-century - with Ontario emerging as ground zero of the growing economic crisis.

Ontario shed 66,000 workers - 42,000 of them in factory jobs

Queu the music...Violins please

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who represents an Ontario riding that's heavily dependent on the auto industry, called it a "devastating occurrence" and said he "sympathize(d) with those Canadians and their families who have lost their jobs."

Its reported that Flaherty has scheduled a business trip in the bahamas.

Goods industries decreased employment by 33,000 jobs, while services cut 38,000 positions. That's a change from earlier this year, when services employment was stable.

Time to get a cushy overpaid government job.

[blueblood]

1982....Is Trudeau Back?

tra la la la la

Queu the music...Violins please

Its reported that Flaherty has scheduled a business trip in the bahamas.

Time to get a cushy overpaid government job.

Or be involved in the ag industry.

[madmax]

Or be involved in the ag industry.

I said overpaid..... and CUSHY. But thanks for the incentive. I will roll over now, and use my other finger to type with.

[jdobbin]

Or be involved in the ag industry.

Really? It is boffo business now and in the months ahead?

[August1991]

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 6.2% to 6.3% but that kind of headline is not nearly as sensational.

[blueblood]

Really? It is boffo business now and in the months ahead?

Jim Rogers things the ag industry will do well

cnbc

Visit My Website

[jdobbin]

Jim Rogers things the ag industry will do well

Visit My Website

Your CNBC article is from August. I think we can safely say that things have changed dramatically since then in terms of demand.

Likewise, your other article is from October.

I don't think in some of the worst predictions that some thought oil would drop to $40 a barrel from $147 at the beginning of the summer.

Canola prices are sinking.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/548694

Canada produced a record canola crop this year and raised wheat output by nearly 43 per cent, Statistics Canada said yesterday, at a time when grain prices are slumping as a global recession worsens.

Here is more news from today.

http://www.fxstreet.com/news/forex-news/ar...93-2243e1dc24a1

US cash grain prices had plummeted to their lowest levels in more than 1-2 years Friday, having completed a freefall of over 50-70% from all-time record highs set just 5-9 months ago.

"Agriculture has seen record rallies and record losses in less than a year," observed an Iowa corn processor. "There are many things affecting the corn market, but they can all be summed up by the phrase 'smaller demand than earlier projected'. The number-one issue, is a much smaller pace of corn exports."

Figures released this week by the USDA placed export inspections of US corn at only 398 million bushels - reflecting a 38% decline from year-ago levels - as foreign feeders turn to inexpensive wheat from the European Union and former republics of the Soviet Union for their livestock/poultry rations.

"[Wheat] production in those areas has increased by a whopping 1.951 billion bushels in the course of a single year," said the Iowa corn buyer. "Those extra bushels are finding a home wherever it can be found, and often at a discount."

Now, is your view so cocky as to believe that world situation won't have any affect on farmers? Is not already having an eafect?

That is from today.

[blueblood]

Your CNBC article is from August. I think we can safely say that things have changed dramatically since then in terms of demand.

Likewise, your other article is from October.

I don't think in some of the worst predictions that some thought oil would drop to $40 a barrel from $147 at the beginning of the summer.

Canola prices are sinking.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/548694

Here is more news from today.

http://www.fxstreet.com/news/forex-news/ar...93-2243e1dc24a1

Now, is your view so cocky as to believe that world situation won't have any affect on farmers? Is not already having an eafect?

That is from today.

Inputs have crashed though. I'm looking long term. I'd say Jim Rogers is a more than reliable source to go on. As for the end of October when that was posted, for all intents and purposes it was in the same gong show as it is now. We're in a much better position than manufacturing, bar none.

[jdobbin]

Inputs have crashed though. I'm looking long term. I'd say Jim Rogers is a more than reliable source to go on. As for the end of October when that was posted, for all intents and purposes it was in the same gong show as it is now. We're in a much better position than manufacturing, bar none.

I hope your right. I think it is wishful thinking to believe that commodity prices will rise in an overall down market. There were lots of reliable experts a number of months ago on oil too.

[punked]

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 6.2% to 6.3% but that kind of headline is not nearly as sensational.

Yes those 66,000 seasonal jobs in Ontario right? I forgot what is the fall "seasonal" jobs in Ontario again?

[jdobbin]

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 6.2% to 6.3% but that kind of headline is not nearly as sensational.

It is the trend I am concerned about and the indications of what might be happening in the North American market.

Real people are being hurt but some conservatives are thinking the pain and suffering is a good thing somehow because it restructures the economy.

[blueblood]

I hope your right. I think it is wishful thinking to believe that commodity prices will rise in an overall down market. There were lots of reliable experts a number of months ago on oil too.

It'll pick up to record levels when the market corrects itself. Expansion was done prior to this mess. Still better than it was 3 yrs. ago though. Should be done by 2010.

[madmax]

Or be involved in the ag industry.

OK............

Plunging commodity prices hurt Ontario crop prices

Posted By THE CANADIAN PRESS

Posted 1 day ago

Ontario's multi-billion-dollar farm sector is being whacked by the commodity crash that has sent oil prices plunging to four-year lows on Friday.

Corn dropped to its lowest price in more than two years yesterday, soybeans are half the price they were in the spring, and wheat is valued at less than a third of its high this year.

It's bad news for the London-area economy, where about half of Ontario's cash crops are produced.

"It's pretty stressful," said area cash crop farmer Larry Cowan. "I don't really know what's going to happen before the day is over."

Corn prices now are below the cost of growing the crop, said Al Mussell of the George Morris Centre, an agricultural think-tank in Guelph.

[blueblood]

OK............

Still better than manufacturing. It's even still better than it was 4 yrs. ago when the economy was booming.

[jdobbin]

It'll pick up to record levels when the market corrects itself. Expansion was done prior to this mess. Still better than it was 3 yrs. ago though. Should be done by 2010.

You have supreme confidence in that.

Some like Niall Ferguson who predicted the liquidity crunch two years ago have said that the situation could resemble Japan over the last ten years. That isn't a pretty picture.

Farmers are starting to hurt now and badly in parts of the country. However, you say you are in great shape to make out for the next year and a half? No supports needed?

Edited December 7, 2008 by jdobbin

[cybercoma]

The government has a budget to present when they get back to work. Somehow I doubt this will be a "vacation".

[jdobbin]

The government has a budget to present when they get back to work. Somehow I doubt this will be a "vacation".

We only have to wait two months for them to prepare it.

[madmax]

Still better than manufacturing. It's even still better than it was 4 yrs. ago when the economy was booming.

Except that its not just manufacturing that is melting down in Ontario. Virtually every sector is in trouble, finance is a disaster, and retail ..... well I expect many chain stores to close up sometime by Feb/Mar of next year, many have already announced they are closing.

Manufacturing is 16% of the economy, but provides Millions of jobs and has lost nearly 400,000 since harper took the reigns.

Agriculture doesn't employ alot of people anymore, nor for any length of time. Food Processing is being reduced in Ontario... so even more jobs are lost.

And as you are well aware, there are bigger farms and a Hell of a lot less farmers and that is never going change.

And factory farms are a different beast.

Therefore, you still require a large capital outlay to get into farming and the returns are not always something to write home about.

Farming is part time affair, and most farmers are now in their high 50s and their sons, if they take it over, usually rely on a Toyota/Cami/Ford/GM or tier 1,2,3 job to supplement their income.

I would even hazard a guess, that you neither employ alot of people nor farm without another income.

[blueblood]

You have supreme confidence in that.

Some like Niall Ferguson who predicted the liquidity crunch two years ago have said that the situation could resemble Japan over the last ten years. That isn't a pretty picture.

Farmers are starting to hurt now and badly in parts of the country. However, you say you are in great shape to make out for the next year and a half? No supports needed?

Inputs paid for, and as much grain/canola as possible sold when news of the housing credit crunch first hit.

I'm looking at demand in general, more people in the world can afford to buy grain than ever before, and there are more uses for it than ever before. Lots of farmers went on a shopping spree and expanded over the last two years. People are prepared for this mess. This mess will be over in a little bit as the market corrects itself.

Like I said, even in October when the world was in its economic nosedive, Jim Rogers was predicting a bright future for agriculture. Cattle ranchers are the ones really suffering as they don't have experience in running a business with restricted cashflow.