PM Justin Trudeau's Canada

[SkyGod]

The "infrastructure" spending is not what many think it is.

In practice, however, not all of the federal government’s infrastructure projects fit this bill. Of Ottawa’s nearly $100 billion in planned infrastructure spending, a mere 10.6 per cent is earmarked for transportation and trade projects. Put differently, only 11 cents of every dollar of new federal infrastructure spending will be spent on improving the country’s core public infrastructure.

So where’s the rest of the money going?

So-called “green” and “social” infrastructure including pet projects such as parks, cultural institutions and recreational centres. Although these initiatives may be appreciated by the communities in which they are built, there’s no evidence such spending will improve economic growth.

http://business.financialpost.com/f...nfrastructure-spending-into-meaningless-words

Then there's actually spending the money instead of backloading it to future years which the Libs will obviously try to do given the mess the budget is now:

 

[Skeezix]

There is a bit of a reason to doubt it, since they included the previously agreed amounts into this total.

How so? And are you saying that before the next election they plan to spend less than $400 million on transit?

 

[SkyGod]

Bombardier’s top execs get almost 50% pay raise as company lays off thousands, taps government aid
http://business.financialpost.com/n...ompany-lays-off-thousands-taps-government-aid

Can anybody explain this?

On one hand we're told that Bombardier is performing poorly and needs government aid to maintain jobs in Canada. Meanwhile the execs are apparently meeting all of their performance objectives to get huge bonuses.

It can't be both.

 

[ttk77]

This is absolutely ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, government aid/bail-outs for corporations should always come with a few strings attached
1. No executive compensation increases for a certain number of years after the cash infusion unless the money is paid back
2. No employee layoffs for that same number of years unless there's a meaningful reduction in executive compensation first.

 

[TOareaFan]

Bombardier’s top execs get almost 50% pay raise as company lays off thousands, taps government aid
http://business.financialpost.com/n...ompany-lays-off-thousands-taps-government-aid

Can anybody explain this?

On one hand we're told that Bombardier is performing poorly and needs government aid to maintain jobs in Canada. Meanwhile the execs are apparently meeting all of their performance objectives to get huge bonuses.

It can't be both.

I can't give you an explanation that will make you feel better about this but BBD has been in "turnaround mode" for a few years now......when the new management built their new team they would have needed to structure bonuses based on "steps" in that turnaround.

We in the regular world equate bonuses to simple measures....growth in sales or profitability.....that kind of thing.......but I imagine that to attract they guys they wanted they would have needed to structure bonuses/contracts such that interim steps that they feel would be the building stones for the simpler measures would be bonused.

Heck, it would not shock/surprise me at all that someone (maybe more than one) would have had a bonus clause related to attracting that government support that you/we are now using against them in the "does this make sense" argument.

The optics are horrible....but that is the way it is.

My anger is more directed at whoever negotiated the contract/loan docs from the government side. Caps on executive compensation should have been part of what they looked for in negotiating the terms of the loan.

EDIT: saw this today....see not all bonuses are based on what we the public view as performance

https://twitter.com/PaulEmanuelli1/status/849805368872009729

 

[jje1000]

Again, we need to ask ourselves if publicly-sponsored refugrees are the best way to help the greatest number of people- or if our money will go further in aiding a greater number of people in their native countries.

Just over half of the adults among the 9,000 Syrian refugees who have been privately sponsored in Canada, largely by churches and other religious organizations, have jobs, Immigration official Chantal Goyette said in a talk delivered at the March Metropolis conference in Montreal.

But only 10 per cent of the adults among the 15,000 refugees who are categorized as “government-assisted,” and who are typically less educated, have jobs in Canada, said Goyette.

Immigration department official Nancy Chan said in an email this week that, after the first 12 months on federal programs, Syrian refugee families end up benefiting not only from provincially-funded public-school and welfare programs, but also from the federal government’s new Canada Child Benefit.

Syrian families with four or more children – which make up the majority of Syrian families that have come to Canada – can get about $50,000 a year in various taxpayer-funded social-service benefits.

In addition to receiving more than $12,000 a year per adult under provincial welfare programs, the Canada Child Benefit credit provides $6,400 for each child under six and $5,400 a year for each child between six and 17. The families are also eligible for GST and other tax rebates.

The immigration department says 62 per cent of the 26,000 Syrians who have come to Canada speak neither French nor English, which is a lower rate of fluency than among previous refugees to Canada.

Learning English, Hosgood adds, is especially difficult for the significant number of Syrian refugee adults who are not able to read or write in their native Arabic.

http://vancouversun.com/news/staff-...ill-struggling-after-12-full-months-in-canada

If a claimant meets the requirements set out by the provincial government, they can become eligible to receive $753 a month if they’re single and $1,354 a month for a family of four.

Throughout this entire process, asylum seekers are provided with free legal aid.

The province explained that once the documents are handled, the next step is to looking at work, earning money and making sure asylum seekers have medical coverage.

“Most individuals found to be eligible to make a refugee claim can apply for a work permit once they have undergone a medical examination. Refugee claimants are also eligible for interim federal health,” the province said in a statement.

The province added that once an individual has been determined eligible to make a claim in Canada, as a refugee claimant they also have access to education.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3361567/s...rive-in-manitoba-what-are-the-costs-involved/

 

[jje1000]

More news begins to trickle out regarding the changing reality of these border claimants:

Nearly half of the asylum seekers crossing the Manitoba border illegally in the last few weeks are being detained because of serious criminal records, suggesting the profile of would-be refugee claimants is changing, according to the union representing border patrol officers.

One of them assaulted a female Canadian Border Services Agency officer as he was being sent to lock-up at the Emerson, Man., port-of-entry last weekend, said Jean-Pierre Fortin, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union.

"She got hurt. I haven't seen the bruises but it's serious enough. But her life was not in danger," Fortin said, adding she has returned to work and does not want to be interviewed about her experience.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/illegal-border-crossers-criminal-records-cbsa-union-1.4069820

 

[BlackLivesMatterJeff]

Justin is nothing special, just a typical Tony Blair with a smile and words.

In like 8 or so years he will be step down and the Tories will be back I imagine.

Typical white privileged rich boy trying to sound acceptable to the people. Still better than Harper. Under Harper I had the feeling we were living in a fascist dictatorship.

 

[pman]

Typical white privileged rich boy trying to sound acceptable to the people. Still better than Harper. Under Harper I had the feeling we were living in a fascist dictatorship.

"Fascist dictatorship." Sure, if words have lost all meaning. The parliamentary democracy you lived in under Harper had free and fair elections, the rule of law, freedom of speech and a robust, independent judiciary that often set itself in opposition to the federal government as it continually expanded the set of Charter rights. Fascist dictatorships were regimes run by people like Hitler, Mussolini and Franco. You could google them to learn something about real fascist dictatorships.

And that "typical white boy" comment. Is it now acceptable on UT to dismiss people because of their race?

 

[Videodrome]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/meredith-ethics-report-1.4095295

Looks like the PM will have to fill another vacant Senate seat in the near future.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

And that "typical white boy" comment. Is it now acceptable on UT to dismiss people because of their race?

He has been given the opportunity to get hands on with his "anti-fascist" work instead of doing it on the forum. Permanently.

MoD

 

[jje1000]

Any thoughts on the Harjit Sajjan debacle?

Feels like a whole lot of nothing, but at the same time it adds onto the feeling that Justin's "diverse cabinet" is feeling less and less like a good idea.

 

[Skeezix]

Not sure what diversity has to do with it. Lots of white, male cabinet ministers have said stupid things over the years. Cabinet selection has always been as much about representation as it has talent, and that practice was rarely challenged, so disheartening to hear actual diversity often being trotted out as somehow being an issue. Yes, striving to have our leadership better reflect Canada's population remains a good idea. Also, it's quite bizarre, given Sajjan's background and accomplishments, to see his appointment as Minister of Defence chalked up as a diversity hire.

As for the actual matter, it's nothing more than a silly distraction. I agree that it is a whole lot of nothing. There are real reasons to go after the Liberals - this isn't one of them.

 

[jje1000]

I think people will use it as an argument- considering that the Liberals have emphasized the diversity of the cabinet and Maryam Monsef and Hunter Tootoo are another instances that have also blown up.

 

[Skeezix]

If a white cabinet minister is involved in an embarrassing situation, it reflects on that minister, and on the PM's choice of that minister. If a racialized cabinet minister is involved in an embarrassing situation, somehow it reflects badly on all racialized members of cabinet. That's appalling. As far as I am concerned, that's a reason right there in support of more diversity in terms of our leadership.