“Thousands of migrant workers come to Canada from the Caribbean and [Latin] America each year to perform seasonal labour, mainly in Ontario and British Columbia’s agriculture sector. Most have come under the federal government’s Season Agriculture Worker Program, and rarely have much contact with the communities where they spend as much as seven or eight months as labourers, often to earn money to send back home”

The families of the deceased labourers have no rights to pursue financial compensation for their loss.

See also: No Jamaican among Ontario crash victims, says foreign ministry | Jamaica Observer

“According to the Toronto Star, Health Minister Deb Matthews, while describing the crash was “a horrific tragedy”, said she was unsure whether the survivors’ health costs are covered. She promised to look into the issue.”

By Duncan Cameron | Rabble.ca | With an election expected as early as this spring, Pauline Marois and the sovereignist movement can thank Stephen Harper for putting the PQ back in the running to form the next government.

“A national casual clothing chain has pulled Caterpillar boots from its London, Ont., stores after the heavy-equipment giant shut down a local locomotive plant. Mark’s Work Wearhouse says it is showing support for hundreds of workers who lost their jobs at the Electro-Motive.”

“In a preamble to the interview, a Jerusalem Post scribe said Baird likes Israel “a lot” and that makes him no different than Prime Minister Stephen Harper.”

Baird <3 Israel

“What I would like is for the general public to wake up and understand that as these good paying jobs disappear so to do our tax dollars. I paid close to $25,000 in income tax alone in 2011. At $18 an hour I wouldn’t pay even close to that. As a country we have the lowest corporate tax rate of all the G7 countries. As jobs like mine disappear where do the federal tax dollars come from to sustain our fantastic country? This is slowly becoming a country of haves and have-nots.”

“It’s not about playing politics, he insists. “There are 2,800 Jews in my constituency in Ottawa; I have 11,500 Muslims and Arabs,” he told one Israeli interviewer. It’s all about values, he says.”

“Since last summer, job creation has been sluggish and the unemployment rate has ticked higher … part-time positions rose by 5,900 while full-time jobs fell by 3,600″

“[CEO Rick George] also declared a force majeure its natural gas operation in Syria during the quarter to comply with international and Canadian sanctions against the country. George reiterated the Libyan and Syrian assets were not for sale “at this time.”

Gerald Caplan | The Globe and Mail

By Chris Hedges | What happened to Canada? It used to be the country we would flee to if life in the United States became unpalatable. No nuclear weapons. A good record on the environment. But that was the old Canada.

By Duncan Cameron | Rabble.ca | When Harper was in Davos, Switzerland, last week to address the World Economic Forum, he did not talk about the subject of the conference. Instead he presented his austerity plan for Canada.

Jane Slaughter | Labor Notes | On a scale never before seen in Canada, the mayor of Toronto seeks to privatize city services and is taking on the largest public sector locals in Canada to do so. Counting down to a lockout February 5, city workers’ unions are scrambling to make their case to city residents.

–It is also an attack on the next generation of workers.

“His endorsement of Dewar marks the first time Arar has stepped into the realm of partisan politics, although his wife, Monia Mazigh, ran for the NDP in 2004. She has also endorsed Dewar.”

By Karl Nerenberg | Rabble.ca | The First Nations-Crown summit: Is it doomed to the same fate as a long list of previous such encounters that produced nothing?

Doug Nesbitt | Socialist Project

–More on the Ignorance Peddlers in Canada.

“For almost three years, from 2008 to 2010, Canada’s leading engineering company played a role developing the Libyan Corps of Engineers, a military and civilian unit that fell under Mr. Gadhafi’s personal supervision. In their discussions with Mr. Gadhafi, the Canadian firm described its services as a defence contractor, documents show, touting the experience of former military officers such as Vice-Admiral Ron Buck, former head of Canada’s navy. … Canada’s own export controls include restrictions on “instruction, skills, training, working knowledge, [and] consulting services,” for foreign militaries, and any such services exported should appear in the government’s regular updates on military exports. The $1-million SNC consulting job is not listed in the 2007-2009 report, which shows that no Canadian companies gave any such assistance to Libya during that period. This may indicate that SNC did not report its activity, never performed the work, or received an informal ruling from Canadian bureaucrats that the job didn’t fall under the regulations.”

–A little article I wrote recently in response to the moronic statements made on Power and Politics by right-wing blow-hards.

“The Liberals’ decision to axe the $42 million came at the same time as the government introduced a 30 per cent tuition rebate initiative.”

Meanwhile … in Nova Scotia:

Government Ushers in New Year with Tuition Fee Increases and Funding Cuts | CFS

By Murray Dobbin | Rabble.ca
Not sure if Dobbin’s idea of a quasi-coalition between the Libs, NDP and other allegedly progressive parties is a good one. Though perhaps it does not matter, if the NDP keeps shifting to the centre anyway. Labour could abandon the NDP (or vice versa) and help found a true socialist alternative.

“For some of the Canadian banks, loan growth has averaged nearly 10% over the past five years. We think the slower macroeconomic environment along with historically high consumer debt levels will slow loan growth. … we have watched the Canadian banks make various acquisitions in order to increase revenue, especially in their fee-based businesses. With all of this acquisition activity, particularly in asset management, we think there is an increased risk that banks will destroy shareholder value by overpaying for assets.”