26 birth houses identified used by Mainland Chinese.

[G Huxley]

It's not a strawman. GHuxley has openly expressed his desire to maintain Canada's roots as a Eurocentric country so anything he has to say about empty houses and unpaid taxes has to take into account that this is a poster with personal biases against non-Europeans.

Please quote that. I made no mention of Eurocentrism. In fact I would prefer Canada embraced its indigenous heritage over that of importing newcomers into indigenous lands for profit.

Edited August 21, 2016 by G Huxley

[eyeball]

I have multiple problems with what is happening. My main problem with the Chinese is their inability to control their population and their massive takeover of world resources and space. There are 38 Canadians to every mainland Chinese. The Chinese should demonstrate their ability to find balance with nature in their own country before overrunning the rest of the world and turning it into an industrial wasteland like they have China.

If we were actually serious about that we wouldn't have allowed our corporations to take advantage of the substandard quality of China's governance in this regard. Instead we cheered it.

My problem with allowing our corporations to do this is that they'll bring those values home in addition to spreading them elsewhere around the globe.

[G Huxley]

"If we were actually serious about that we wouldn't have allowed our corporations to take advantage of the substandard quality of China's governance in this regard. Instead we cheered it."

Of course. And its the exact same with immigration:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chinese-immigration-canada-china-1.3725202

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/08/18/john-mccallum-china-canada-vancouver-toronto_n_11585174.html

Its essentially outsourcing within Canada.

Its all part of the Neoliberal globalist agenda which is ruining the planet and destroying ecology, people and cultures worldwide in the interests of unfettered profit.

[eyeball]

Which is simply nature taking its course.

[G Huxley]

How is humans destroying nature 'nature taking its course.'?

[eyeball]

We're not really destroying nature per se just its capacity to sustain us. In any case we knew following the Neoliberal globalist agenda would result in over-exploiting things so that's all I meant by nature taking it's course.

What would really be unnatural is if we stopped following it, but that's the thing with humans we excel at changing nature wherever we go but we can't seem to change our own.

[G Huxley]

Each species takes billions of years to form. We have wiped out an extensive list. We've wasted billions of years of evolution with our flawed existence.

[eyeball]

We're also opening up opportunities for evolution, the way a comet does...that's nature, taking it's course.

Immigration, is simply the movement of people from areas facing a dwindling number of resources and opportunities to areas where there are more. Whole ecological communities are likewise shifting northward and southward in response to climate change for example so why should it be any different with people? Again this is just nature taking it's course. Good luck changing it. In our case the only way to eventually stop it will be violently.

As the water hole gets smaller the animals will get meaner...we also knew this going in.

[G Huxley]

"We're also opening up opportunities for evolution, the way a comet does...that's nature, taking it's course."

A comet strikes once, while we just continually strike endlessly. I don't see how reducing life back to earlier forms is progress.

Edited August 25, 2016 by G Huxley

[G Huxley]

This defeatism/todestrieb is too whimpy. We should be lions not cowards. We know what the problem is. Let's deal with it instead of surrendering to it and living like defeated dogs.

As a country let's lead the way and show the world that Canada can deal with its population problem and not become a casualty of it like everyone else. Let Canada's population reduction policy be an ideal worth emulating by others across the globe.

Edited August 25, 2016 by G Huxley

[Smallc]

Canada doesn't have a population problem.

[eyeball]

This defeatism/todestrieb is too whimpy. We should be lions not cowards. We know what the problem is. Let's deal with it instead of surrendering to it and living like defeated dogs.

We did that when we caved to globalism.

As a country let's lead the way and show the world that Canada can deal with its population problem and not become a casualty of it like everyone else. Let Canada's population reduction policy be an ideal worth emulating by others across the globe.

No, that's too wimpy. Be braver and more honest about it and shrink our economy. That's what really needs to be done and emulated.

[G Huxley]

"Canada doesn't have a population problem."

The proposed site C dam is a perfect example.

"We did that when we caved to globalism."

And you are doing the same thing when you support immigration.

"No, that's too wimpy. Be braver and more honest about it and shrink our economy. That's what really needs to be done and emulated."

How can we do that without limiting the population?

[Smallc]

"Canada doesn't have a population problem."

The proposed site C dam is a perfect example.

The proposed site C dam is a great idea.

[taxme]

Over the long term it makes no great impact on Canada.

Oh boy? Canada is in trouble alright with a reply like this.

[taxme]

Yes and smoking makes no difference on health and herbicides make no difference on food quality and water makes no difference on forest fires and we should get rid of fire extinguishers while we are at it, because they don't really make a difference. In fact nothing makes a difference, everythings hunkey dorey, let's just give Canada a way, because Canada doesn't matter!

True enough. There are many Canadians who think that Canada as it use to be should not be allowed to exist any longer. It's all about the rest of the world now and their concerns with our elected officials who see Canada as nothing more than a machine for getting voted back in again. If politicians really did give a dam about Canada this would have been stopped decades ago. If anyone dares to tell me that our politically correct pro-multicultural Canadian politicians are for and care for Canada, I will laugh in their face. They are all in it for themselves and nothing more. Canada is doomed.

[taxme]

And! Plus also too....These people (the parents) are fairly wealthy. They are not refugees or illegals. They pay their own way to this wonderful place and pay the costs of the birth and pay their own way back to wherever they came from. They have lots of money. Exactly the type of non-sucking immigrant we want!

Well, according to some Canadians and to most if not all of our politically correct politicians, it would appear as though this is the type of new immigrant that these politicians want here. Our immigration policy stinks to high heaven, and needs to be scrapped for something better than what we have. But this time let we the peasants speak and write the new rules and regulations, not let the same politician fools and special interest groups put their two cents worth in there. They have done more than enough damage already to this country. We need a common sense and logic immigration policy, not an emotional and foolish one any longer.

[taxme]

Over the long term, children of foreign nationals born here set up residency and can then apply for their aging parents to join them in Canada. So yes, over the long term it makes a difference.

And if I am not mistaken, after a few years of these old age family members being here, I believe that they can then apply for citizenship and apply for the old age pension. If this is so, then this is a real robbery being committed against the Canadian taxpayer's of this country. All that was missing was a gun in their hands.

[G Huxley]

The proposed site C dam is a great idea.

So more money for hookers can be generated?

[Machjo]

Still no one considers the impact this has on Canadian sellers​. They want legislation to cool down the market but doesn't this have an adverse effect on Canadian who own homes and want to sell them there?

I disagree with the new tax the BC government introduced. However, maintaining housing prices is not the government's job.

What about apple prices? Or watermelon prices.

If you buy a house with the intent of living in it, by all means. But then it won't matter if prices drop since you won't be selling for some time anyway. And if you sell at a loss, at least you enjoyed years of living in it.

If you buy a house as an investment, then expect it to fluctuate just like stocks.

It's not up to the goverents to take sides between buyers and sellers.

[TimG]

I disagree with the new tax the BC government introduced. However, maintaining housing prices is not the government's job.

Affordable housing *IS* the government's job. If the housing prices have gotten to the point where no one living and working in Vancouver can afford property then the government is right to step in an limit the ability of off shore investors, with no interest in living and working in Vancouver, to bid up the price of housing. Edited August 26, 2016 by TimG

[Machjo]

Affordable housing *IS* the government's job. If the housing prices have gotten to the point where no one living and working in Vancouver can afford property then the government is right to step in an limit the ability of off shore investors, with no interest in living and working in Vancouver, to bid up the price of housing.

What I was responding to suggested that the government has a duty to keep prices from dropping.

I disagree with that. If the price drops, then it drops.

That said, I disagree with the method used in this case.

[cybercoma]

Affordable housing *IS* the government's job. If the housing prices have gotten to the point where no one living and working in Vancouver can afford property then the government is right to step in an limit the ability of off shore investors, with no interest in living and working in Vancouver, to bid up the price of housing.

Interesting. Anti wage controls, pro rent controls. You're an odd duck, Tim.

[Machjo]

Interesting. Anti wage controls, pro rent controls. You're an odd duck, Tim.

New York, Paris, and Toronto have all tried tent contrils.

In every case, it had made matters worse.

[TimG]

Interesting. Anti wage controls, pro rent controls.

I never said anything about rent controls. I said the government has a obligation to ensure an environment where people can afford housing. There many things a government can do but there is no magic bullet. Rent controls are among the worst possible options because they invariably make the situation worse. Ensuring adequate supply of housing with sensible zoning choices and going after investors which remove supply from the market by leaving houses empty are useful things to do. Edited August 26, 2016 by TimG