BC Latest Polling Results

[caesar]

It seems to me, the question is why I should pay more for the expensive domestic doodad rather than the cheaper imported doodad. (In the BC case, should you buy expensive domestic boats or cheaper foreign boats.)

We will never even know what their bid would have been. When we spend our government money here in BC; we have much of it returned by way of taxes paid by the company and the workers. It cuts unemployment; so less welfare or EI. We lost money from the federal government which is given when buying Canadian plus we pay the federal government import taxes.

The quality of boat foreign vs domestic is again unknown but buying domestic would mean parts and repairs would be available quicker with knowledgeable help to fix problems with less down time for the ship.

We would have promoted a local industry rather than dissing it like this government has done.

[Choke]

an efficient market isn't always the most benificial market for every one in society.

Which is irrelevant since the most efficient system will still rule.

So you would have us sink to third world standards. Gee thanks a lot. We need to work towards improving standards in those countries. There is plenty of extra profit at the top for CEO's; Cut cost where these is lots of fat; at the top.

If you cut profits, companies will move to markets where there are less restrictions, you're shooting yourself in the foot. The standards in developing countries will improve with time, but we can either try to keep on living the first world bubble we've created, or stop denying reality and become truly competitive on the world stage.

Well choke; the world doesn't revolve around you. It is not your job to decide if I or any other poster is off topic.

If you make a personal attack on me, as I took your mocking me about my views on Iraq in a thread that has nothing to do with Iraq, I will remind you that you're going off-topic. This isn't moderating, notice how the post wasn't deleted, that's moderating, this is a reminder.

Where do we draw the line of family/not-family? City? Province? Country? Planet?

I draw it at planet.

We will never even know what their bid would have been.

You think the government deliberately wasted money? Why don't you just make up a theory of how they've been having bonfires using $50 bills, that's as plausible, in my opinion, as what you're saying.

[Stoker]

We will never even know what their bid would have been. When we spend our government money here in BC; we have much of it returned by way of taxes paid by the company and the workers. It cuts unemployment; so less welfare or EI.

Thats a myth.......... the vast majority of trades in a shipyard are transferable to other types of work......be they welders, pipefitters (which I'm one of), electricans etc.....

[caesar]

It is not a myth; it is fact. It is just plain facts and common sense.

[caesar]

f you make a personal attack on me, as I took your mocking me about my views on Iraq in a thread that has nothing to do with Iraq, I will remind you that you're going off-topic. This isn't moderating, notice how the post wasn't deleted, that's moderating, this is a reminder.

That my dear child does not constitute a personal attack. Don't bother reminding me of anything. I don't need your views Just keep to the topic ok

[Stoker]

It is not a myth; it is fact. It is just plain facts and common sense.

Ahhh......no......I've worked in a shipyard (as a plumber/pipefitter) and I'm now doing residential plumbing.....hell, most of the "laid-off" workers from Vic-ship are building the new Save on Foods arena in Victoria or are on various other new construction sites.

As I said, damn near every job/trade in a shipyard is transferable to another field......fitting a toilet into a new ferry is almost exactly the same as fitting a toilet into a new hotel or condo..........welding bulkheads on a new ferry is almost exactly the same as welding steel on a new high rise........not much difference in the painting field.......or electrical.......carpentry......etc.

[caesar]

So what; if it is transferable; there would still be more employed and paying into our tax coffers. It still is a completely different industry; it requires more precision and expertise. I am not an expert in this field (or even that knowledgeable) but with dampness and salt water; things must be used with a higher corrosion tolerance;better seals and I do know that the painting does require much more salt water resistance and resistance to barnacle or so that it does not get easily damged or removed when cleaning off barnacle. It still means that more in the industry would be employed. That is not a myth. More experienced workers and more projects to demonstrate to buyers their expertise.

However, this is bringing the thread way off topic; so final response from me regarding this off shoot discussion.

[Stoker]

So what; if it is transferable; there would still be more employed and paying into our tax coffers. It still is a completely different industry; it requires more precision and expertise. I am not an expert in this field (or even that knowledgeable) but with dampness and salt water; things must be used with a higher corrosion tolerance;better seals and I do know that the painting does require much more salt water resistance and resistance to barnacle or so that it does not get easily damged or removed when cleaning off barnacle. It still means that more in the industry would be employed. That is not a myth. More experienced workers and more projects to demonstrate to buyers their expertise.

However, this is bringing the thread way off topic; so final response from me regarding this off shoot discussion.

You're wrong caesar, all those example that you cite don't require more "precision and expertise", just different specifications.

Also, as I said, having the ferries built in BC won't make a significant dent in unemployment......case being, those tradesman that were once employed by one of the three major shipyards in BC are unemployed only by their own choosing today.......... You must have heard of the skilled trade shortage within Canada.

[Choke]

Stoker's right, it's employers that are demanding tradesmen right now, not tradesmen demanding jobs.

[caesar]

Yeah right. I seen all the ads in the classified and Monster.

They claim the jobless rate is down; then turns out there are 22thousand plus less jobs; the increase is only part time jobs. Can't support a family with a part time job in the lower mainland.

[Choke]

I'm not saying the whole economy has a glut of jobs, but in trades, that is certainly the case, and that's what we're discussing here, trade jobs.

[caesar]

That is what I am talking about too. They are not there.

Where's the ads for any trade jobs of real importance. Even the ads are sometimes there more for advertising than real job hiring.

[Stoker]

That is what I am talking about too. They are not there.

Where's the ads for any trade jobs of real importance. Even the ads are sometimes there more for advertising than real job hiring.

The vast majority of trade related work is not posted within a news paper.........since most trade related vacancies are aimed at being filled by tradesman, not your average Joe off the street.

Union trade work is filled by the union halls, and almost never tenderd to the public. The vast majority of apprenticeship postions are posted (suprise suprise) on job boards at BCIT and Camosun Collage (amongest other trade schools). As for more experienced openings (ie journeyman postions) a large portion are normaly posted at (again suprise, suprise) places that trades people go to.......such as Wholesalers, outfitters, hardware stores etc.

But the most common way of a tradesperson finding a job is networking.....aka.....word of mouth.

[maplesyrup]

B.C. NDP fired up to take on provincial Liberals in next election

VANCOUVER (CP) - The mood at the NDP provincial council meeting Saturday resembled one of eager kids counting down the hours to Christmas.

In anticipation of a spring provincial election, an exuberant party Leader Carole James told dozens of cheering NDP members during a rousing speech Saturday that there are "164 sleeps" until the May 17 vote.

She said the wheels are in motion for a "hot" campaign against the governing Liberals and her spirited tirade against Premier Gordon Campbell indicated that attacking the leader's record will be a big part of her strategy.

She said Campbell will do anything to stay in power and joked that his approach is "a wholesale personality transplant."

"The Gordon Campbell who cares, the Gordon Campbell who worries about what he has done, the Gordon Campbell you would actually take home to your parents."

I guess one of the fundamental differrence between Campbell and James is that James is NOT surrounded by drunks, drugs, and people charged with criminal acts.

[Choke]

I prefer drugs and drunks to socialists.

[caesar]

I prefer drugs and drunks to socialists.

That doesn't surpise me.

There are not a lot of trade jobs out there. Because we don't pay the salaries to skilled trades and send jobs out of the country; the experienced workers go where the jobs are. BCIT and other college listings are for JUNIOR positions.

I hear there are jobs all over in BC; then find there are 20 thousand less full time jobs. People are only getting part time work.

[Stoker]

B.C. Federation of Labour Releases Plan to Double Apprentices in Four Years

BC's growing skills shortage will only get worse if we don't abandon the BC Liberal training strategy said B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair, releasing a report that called for the doubling of apprentices in four years.

Now, caesar when both the right and the left (see above link) say that there is a trades person shortage.......me tends to think there is.

No if you care to refuite the charges laid by the BC government, and the BC Federation of labour, go ahead, but please provide some proof.

[Stoker]

Canadian Employment Outlook: Shortage in Skilled Trades Workers to Intensify

"We are witnessing first hand the emerging crisis in skilled trades

employment in Canada," said Kim Peters, President, Workopolis. "Canadian

companies are having to chase candidates to fill important, often lucrative

jobs. Many are resorting to relocating workers from across the country or even

outside Canada. Meanwhile, we have a generation of young workers who are

overlooking the real opportunities in this sector. It's a serious

disconnection that will have profound impact on Canada's competitiveness in

the years ahead."

Government and industry have been raising warning flags about declining

entries into the skilled trades since the late 1990s. The Conference Board of

Canada has stated that: "By 2010, the shortage of skilled trades will cause

other problems: higher wages and risk of inflation. This is already showing up

in Western Canada, where projects are delayed and cost overruns are

occurring."

It has nothing to do with low wages...........