Leftnews.org » Canada

Migrant workers killed in crash were ‘breadwinners’ | CBC

Faiz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:34:50 +0000

“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.

“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.”

Pauline Marois relaunches PQ, Harper helps

Jeff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:30:59 +0000

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.

Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant | Yahoo News

Faiz — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:09:11 +0000

“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.”

Baird says Canada is a better friend of Israel than United States is | Yahoo News

Faiz — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:10:22 +0000

“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

Community reaction to Caterpillar’s London plant shutdown | CBC

Faiz — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:19:04 +0000

“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.”

Baird sticks to party line – Israel’s Likud party | The Globe and Mail

Faiz — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:32:51 +0000

“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.”

Jobless rate hits 9-month high | The Globe and Mail

Faiz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:21:11 +0000

“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″

Calgary-based Suncor back in Libya | Calgary Herald

Faiz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:58:37 +0000

“[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.”

Harper and the U.S. are wrong on the Iran threat

Jeff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:21:40 +0000

Gerald Caplan | The Globe and Mail

Global corporate power and the decay of Canada

Jeff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:17:00 +0000

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.

Selling austerity from Davos

Jeff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:15:36 +0000

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.

Toronto Mayor Set to Lock Out City Workers

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:06:17 +0000

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.

Proposed pension changes called ‘attack on seniors’ – Nfld. & Labrador – CBC News

Graham — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:02:11 +0000

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

Torture victim Maher Arar endorses Dewar’s NDP leadership bid | Winnipeg Free Press

Faiz — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:40:02 +0000

“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.”

Hill Dispatches: Can First Nations become subjects rather than objects?

Jeff — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:55:32 +0000

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?

Canadian Labour At The Crossroads?

Jeff — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:28:24 +0000

Doug Nesbitt | Socialist Project

EthicalOil.org and the Harper Government

Graham — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:12:51 +0000

–More on the Ignorance Peddlers in Canada.

SNC-Lavalin developed close relationship with Gadhafi son | CTV

Faiz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:05:24 +0000

“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.”

The Ignorance Enabling Industry Comes To Canada — Citizens’ Press

Graham — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:06:00 +0000

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

McGuinty defends cuts to university research grants | Toronto Star

Faiz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:02:01 +0000

“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