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  2. Hello,


    You can now get verified on forum.

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  1. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Jason Kenney aims for a new united right-wing party in Alberta by spring 2018
    PC party executive director Troy Wason resigned Sunday morning
    Mar 19, 2017 4:55 PM MT

    [​IMG]
    Jason Kenney held his first news conference as Alberta Progressive Conservative leader in Calgary on Sunday.

    Newly elected Alberta Progressive Conservative leader Jason Kenney said Sunday he hopes to have a new leader and new united conservative party in place by spring of 2018.

    Kenney told reporters at a news conference in Calgary he wants to complete negotiations with the official opposition Wildrose Party this spring, with a referendum of party members wrapped up by early summer.

    Kenney suggested the new party could hold a founding convention by November.

    "At this convention, this united party would adopt a constitution with leadership rules, elect an executive," Kenney said.

    "That election would appoint a leadership election committee and then we would move immediately into a leadership election."

    If members of the Wildrose or PC parties reject a future unity agreement, Kenney said he would respect that decision. But he also issued a warning.

    "Voters in Alberta are going to punish any party that obstructs unity amongst free enterprisers," he said. "So if a unity agreement ends up being vetoed by either party, I think that sends a strong message to voters in which direction to go."

    Kenney, who was elected on a "unite the right" platform, met with the PC board of directors Sunday morning to talk about next steps. Kenney won 75 per cent of votes in Saturday's delegated convention.

    Kenney will meet with members of the PC caucus on Monday morning and with Wildrose Leader Brian Jean in the afternoon.

    While Kenney and PC Party president Katherine O'Neill said the meeting went well, Kenney said party executive director Troy Wason submitted his resignation this morning.

    O'Neill said the meeting was positive even though not everyone in the room agreed with Kenney's plan.

    "But people are willing to explore the next steps and help try to build this," she said.

    Divisive battle
    Kenney's goal of uniting the right may not be easy.

    The leadership race became a divisive battle between Kenney supporters, who tended to skew more toward the views of the federal Conservative Party, and the traditional PCs, who wanted the party to continue in its current form.

    The Wildrose Party, Alberta's official opposition, was started by former Progressive Conservatives who felt the party wasn't right-wing enough, particularly on property rights. Kenney spent 17 years as a member of the federal Conservatives, which is more in line with Wildrose values.

    [​IMG]
    PC party president Katherine O'Neill said Sunday's board meeting with new leader Jason Kenney was positive. (Michelle Bellefontaine/CBC News )

    People who supported other candidates were bitter over Kenney's victory, which was thought to be due to his successful effort to recruit supporters and get them out to the delegate selection meetings in each of the 87 constituency associations.

    Former deputy premier Doug Horner, whose father Dr. Hugh Horner served as a cabinet minister under Peter Lougheed, walked out of the convention hall when Kenney's win was announced Saturday afternoon.

    In his victory speech, Kenney said he wanted people who didn't vote for him to tell him what they wanted from a new united conservative party.

    "We need all of you," he said.

    Kenney pledges to release donors' names
    The PC leadership race didn't officially launch until Oct. 1, 2016, but Kenney was campaigning and fundraising as soon as he announced his candidacy in July.

    Alberta election financing rules only require candidates to disclose their donors for the official campaign period, though that is soon expected to change. The governing NDP is expected to announce new legislation to close that loophole.

    However, Kenney said Sunday he will honour his promise to also release the names of the donors to the first three months of his campaign. That information will come out in the weeks after May 18, the end of the official writ period under Elections Alberta rules.

    Kenney's transition team includes former PC MLA and associate cabinet minister Donna Kennedy-Glans, who briefly ran for the leadership before dropping out in November.
     
  2. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Alberta oilsands production outlook bright despite gloomy headlines
    'It's hard to imagine a scenario where oilsands production would go down,' says oilsands analyst
    Mar 19, 2017 9:29 AM MT

    [​IMG]
    The Alberta oilsands contain an estimated 1.8 trillion barrels of oil, about 168 billion barrels of which are considered recoverable using today's technology.

    The sell-off of Alberta oilsands assets by another big international player — along with big reserve writedowns, the introduction of a carbon tax and a stumbling crude price — all suggest a gloomy outlook for production from the world's third-largest proven oil reserves.

    But Canada's oilsands output is still expected to set new records in 2017 and climb even further in the coming years.

    Part of this year's boost would come from the Fort Hills project, expected to achieve first oil late this year and rise to 194,000 barrels per day through 2018. It is the last giant Canadian oilsands mine in advanced development by a major energy company.

    Additional production is coming from smaller thermal projects that use steam to recover heavy bitumen crude through wells, with about a dozen under construction or building toward full capacity.

    "It's hard to imagine a scenario where oilsands production would go down," says oilsands analyst Michael Dunn of GMP FirstEnergy.

    Alberta budget forecasts output will rise
    In its budget announced Thursday, the Alberta government forecasts oilsands output will rise from 2.5 million bpd in the 2016-17 fiscal year to 3.3 million bpd in 2019-20.

    Dunn says oilsands companies have dramatically cut operating costs per barrel over the last two years while oil prices have been low, and although it seems counterintuitive, one of the best ways to do that is by producing more barrels.

    That's why Canadian Natural Resources is buying most of Royal Dutch Shell's oilsands assets while continuing to grow production at its Horizon oilsands mining project, Dunn said.

    Estimated 1.8 trillion barrels
    One thing no one worries about is availability of resource. The Alberta oilsands contain an estimated 1.8 trillion barrels of oil, about 168 billion barrels of which are considered recoverable using today's technology.

    At the end of last year, there were five oilsands mining operations and about 20 commercial thermal projects producing in Alberta.

    More than 70 other greenfield or expansion oilsands projects, both mining and drilling operations, are waiting in the wings after winning regulatory approval but not yet receiving investment decisions from their proponents.

    With production rising, pipeline capacity is expected to tighten over the next few years. That means more barrels will be placed in railcars until Enbridge Line 3 and Trans Mountain expansion, recently approved by the federal government, are built.

    Environmental impact could limit growth
    A potential limit to growth, however, is the environmental impact of oilsands development.

    The Alberta government has set a 100-megatonne annual limit on emissions from the oilsands and the sector already emits about 70 per cent of that. New taxes on emissions are expected to increase over time.

    In an upcoming study, however, the Canadian Energy Research Institute says new technologies — including the use of solvents to produce bitumen through wells with little or no water and lower energy use — could allow overall oilsands production to continue growing.

    Growth in the oilsands isn't inevitable, however, said Charlie Kronick, a London-based Greenpeace campaigner.

    He said the oil industry assumes that it will always see higher prices, new pipelines, rising demand and favourable regulation.

    "Actually, those things have all changed significantly from 2008," he said. "A lot of those things are not just cyclical changes but have become structural."
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Canadian wins prestigious $1M teaching award for work in northern Quebec

    [​IMG]
    Canadian Maggie MacDonnell has won the 1M Global Teacher Award for 2017. Global Teacher Prize

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A Canadian school teacher whose teaching philosophy underscores hope and acts of kindness in an isolated corner of Quebec won a $1 million prize Sunday in what has become one of the most-coveted and high-profile awards for teaching excellence.

    Maggie MacDonnell was awarded the annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, beating out thousands of applicants from around the world.

    The prize was established three years ago to recognize one exceptional teacher a year who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, employs innovative classroom practices and encourages others to join the teaching profession.

    Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was on hand to present the prize to MacDonnell. Her name was announced by French astronaut Thomas Pasquet in a video message from the International Space Station.

    MacDonnell was among 10 finalists flown to Dubai to attend the ceremony. The nine others hail from Pakistan, the UK, Jamaica, Spain, Germany, China, Kenya, Australia and Brazil.

    MacDonnell has been teaching for six years in a remote Arctic village called Salluit. According to her biography, Salluit is home to the second northernmost Inuit indigenous community in Quebec, with a population of just over 1,300, and can only be reached by air.

    Her perseverance to continue teaching in the remote area, where many teachers leave their post midway through the year, made her a standout for the award. MacDonnell created a number of programs for boys and girls, including job mentorship and funds to assist with healthy meals.

    She also established a fitness centre for youth and adults in the local community, where drug use and alcoholism rates are high due to the region’s harsh winters and isolation. The tiny village witnessed six suicides in 2015, all affecting young males between the ages of 18 and 25.

    Her approach focuses on emphasizing “acts of kindness” such as running a community kitchen and attending suicide prevention training.

    “The memory that continues to haunt me is when I see these Canadian teenagers, their very own classmates of the deceased, literally digging the grave,” she said. “I didn’t know until I came to Salluit that that was a Canadian reality.”

    Last year, Palestinian teacher Hanan al-Hroub won for her efforts in encouraging students to renounce violence and embrace dialogue. The inaugural prize went to Nancie Atwell, an English teacher from Maine.

    The award is presented by the Varkey Foundation. Its founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company, which has more than 250 schools around the world.

    The foundation’s CEO, Vikas Pota, said in a statement that the award aims to shine a spotlight on great teachers and share their stories with the world.

    Also Sunday, 15 countries, including Chile, Iraq, Japan, Pakistan, Portugal, Somalia, Ukraine and Yemen, announced they would launch national teaching prizes with the support of the Varkey Foundation.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the time to tweet his congratulations to MacDonnell.
     
  4. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Almost half of Canadians want refugees illegally crossing into Canada deported: Poll
    WINNIPEG, Manitoba/OTTAWA (Reuters) – Nearly half of Canadians want to deport people who are illegally crossing into Canada and a similar number disapprove of how PM Trudeau is handling the influx, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday.

    A significant minority, four out of 10 respondents, said the border crossers could make Canada “less safe,” underlining the potential political risk for Trudeau’s Liberal government.

    The increasing flow of hundreds of asylum-seekers of African and Middle Eastern origin from the United States in recent months has become a contentious issue in Canada.

    There has been broad bipartisan support for high levels of legal immigration for decades in Canada. But Trudeau has come under pressure over the flow of the illegal migrants. He is questioned about it every time he appears in parliament, from opponents on the left, who want more asylum-seekers to be allowed in, and critics on the right, who say the migrants pose a potential security risk.

    [​IMG]
    Canadians appeared to be just as concerned about illegal immigration as their American neighbors, according to the poll, which was conducted between March 8-9. Some 48 percent of Canadians said they supported “increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally.”

    When asked specifically about the recent border crossings from the United States, the same number – 48 percent – said Canada should “send these migrants back to the U.S.” Another 36 percent said Canada should “accept these migrants” and let them seek refugee status.


    In the United States, where President Donald Trump was elected partly on his promise to boost deportations, 50 percent of adults supported “increasing the deportation of illegal immigrants,” according to a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll that was conducted during the same week in the United States.

    Illegal migrants interviewed by Reuters in Canada said they had been living legally in the United States and had applied for asylum there. But they had fled to Canada for fear of being caught up in Trump’s immigration crackdown.

    Warming weather poses risk
    In the poll, support for deporting the border crossers was strongest among men, adults who do not have a college degree, people who are older and those with higher levels of income.

    “There are so many people in the world who want to come in and go through the right channels,” said Greg Janzen, elected leader of a Manitoba border municipality that has seen hundreds of border crossers.

    “That’s what’s pissing most people off. These guys are jumping the border,” he said.

    Forty-six percent of Canadians feel the influx would have no effect on safety, while 41 percent said it would make Canada less safe, according to the poll.

    “Refugees are much more welcomed when we have gone and selected them ourselves as a country, as opposed to refugees who have chosen us,” said Janet Dench, executive director of Canadian Council for Refugees.

    [​IMG]
    Of those polled, 46 percent disagreed with how Trudeau was handling the situation, 37 percent agreed, while 17 percent did not know. In January, a separate Ipsos poll found that 59 percent of Canadians approved of Trudeau, while 41 percent disapproved.

    Trudeau faces no immediate threat, since the next elections are not until 2019. Trudeau’s office declined to comment on the poll, as did the opposition Conservative Party.

    Brian Lee Crowley, head of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute public policy think-tank, said the number of illegal migrants could spike as the weather warms, and “if people become convinced there’s a large uncontrolled flow of illegal immigrants, I think that will be a very serious political issue for the government.”

    Canadian authorities dismiss the idea they are being lax.

    Dan Brien, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, said “trying to slip across the border in an irregular manner is not a ‘free’ ticket to Canada,” noting that all asylum-seekers were detained.

    “If they are found to be inadmissible without a valid claim, deportation procedures are begun,” he said by email when asked about the poll.

    According to a separate Ipsos poll in Canada, 23 percent of Canadians listed immigration control as among the top national issues in March, up from 17 percent in December. It ranks behind healthcare, taxes, unemployment and poverty as top concerns.

    The Canadian government set an immigration target of 300,000 for 2017, or just under 1 percent of the population, the same level as 2016. It reduced the 2017 target for resettled refugees to 25,000 from 44,800 in 2016, a year when it welcomed 25,000 refugees from Syria.

    The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English and French throughout Canada. It included responses from 1,001 people who were at least 18 years old. Individual responses were weighted according to the latest population estimates in Canada, so that the results reflect the entire population.

    The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 4 percentage points.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    1. Wafarer
      They `jump the queue, and do a disservice to their honest countrymen, and are not properly screened(of course) send them back!
       
      Wafarer, Mar 20, 2017
      justpassingthru likes this.
  5. BigSuzyB

    BigSuzyB Porn Star

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    I don't want to send that poor guy that froze all his fingers off back to Ghana.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  6. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Travel between U.S. and Canada surges to kick off 2017
    Canadians made 3.6 million trips to U.S. in January, most since 2015
    Despite anecdotal reports of a slowdown of interest in travelling to the United States since the election of Donald Trump, official numbers out of Statistics Canada Monday morning showed Canadians' visits to the U.S. surged to their highest level since 2015 in January, with 3.6 million trips.

    The figure was an increase of 7 per cent from December's level, Statistics Canada reported.

    The numbers run counter to several recent media reports that travel to the U.S. had dried up since November. Last month, travel guide Frommer's referred to a Trump Slump as it cited an influential travel magazine report of a "devastating drop" in the number of visits to the U.S. by foreign tourists since Donald Trump was elected, partly on an anti-immigration platform.

    And the U.S. Travel Association reported earlier this month it is seeing "mounting signs" ofa broad slowdoen in demand of foreign travelers to the US.

    Travel agent Melissa Erskine, owner of iDream Travel based in Ontario, told The Associated Press last month that some of her clients "are no longer interested in going to the U.S. due to Trump's policies and have looked at other options within Canada."

    But if that sentiment is real and widespread, it's not showing up in Canada's official travel numbers yet.

    And Americans don't appear to be fearful of crossing the border, either. U.S. travel to Canada surged to 2 million trips in January, up 3.6 per cent to the strongest January since 2007.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Luckily we have a "compassionate needs" policy here in Canada.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. shootersa

    shootersa Frisky Feline

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    Now that's interesting.
    Sending illegal immigrants back across the border to the US>

    Isn't that what Trump suggested a month or so ago, and was shot down by the press for it?
     
    1. justpassingthru
      The media is out of control ... except me LOL. I tell it like it is on Canadian matters.
       
      justpassingthru, Mar 20, 2017
  9. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    This tax perk for wealthy CEOs will cost Canada $840M this year
    Critics say the stock option tax deduction is only helping the rich get richer
    It's called the stock option deduction — a tax break for employees that critics say largely benefits wealthy corporate executives. According to the finance department, keeping this perk intact will cost Ottawaa projected $840 million this year.

    That's one reason many critics would like to see the deduction eliminated.

    "It's outrageous," says Dennis Howlett with the advocacy group, Canadians for Tax Fairness. "Why would we give more money to those who are already overpaid and extremely wealthy?"

    The federal Liberal Party at one time agreed. As part of its 2015 campaign "to target tax loopholes that particularly benefit Canada's top one per cent," it pledged to cap the stock option deduction.

    [​IMG]
    During the 2015 election, the Liberals pledged to cap the stock option deduction. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

    Then five months after winning the election, the new Liberal government quietly abandoned the plan in its first budget.

    Howlett and other critics hope that in Wednesday's second budget, Ottawa will finally live up to its election promise and claw back the perk. Howlett claims the move would generate millions of dollars for social programs.

    "To not do anything would be totally unjustifiable," he says. "We're throwing the money away."

    Income taxed at a discount
    Stock options are a potentially lucrative part of employee compensation where executives and sometimes other employees can purchase company stock at a set price. When they cash in the stock, if certain conditions are met, any profit is typically taxed at only half the rate of regular income.

    In other words, people who already benefit from stock options also get an added bonus of a major tax discount.

    Advocates of the perk argue that it encourages innovation by helping startups and smaller companies attract new talent.

    "It's just part of the small company culture, really, because they can't pay large salaries," Rod Thomas, president of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, told CBC News in March.

    But most employees who are granted stock options are already pulling in fat salaries, argues David Macdonald, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The organization is a left-leaning think-tank focused on economic and social policy.

    "If you are getting paid in stock options, it's fairly likely you're pretty wealthy," says Macdonald. "It's incredibly concentrated among the richest CEOs."

    Tax breaks for top earning CEOs
    A recent study by the Centre for Policy Alternatives reported that in 2011, about 99 per cent of the benefits from the stock option deduction went to Canada's top 10 per cent of income earners.

    In a second study on CEO salaries, the organization reported that among the highest paid 100 CEOs in Canada in 2015, 75 received stock options as part of their pay package.

    Top earners included Hunter Harrison, then the CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway. According to the report, he earned $2.8 million in base pay. On top of that, his stock options were worth an estimated $5.2 million.

    If he had cashed them in, presumably that $5.2 million would be taxed at half the rate of his base salary.

    "[CEOs] get big breaks on this," says Macdonald.

    [​IMG]
    When Hunter Harrison was CEO of CP Rail, his stock options were worth an estimated $5.2 million in 2015. (Shaun Best/Reuters)

    Howlett says the government could protect smaller businesses by capping the amount that is taxed at the lower rate, instead of axing the lower stock option deduction altogether.

    The Liberals came up with this idea themselves during the election, pledging to fully tax individual stock options gains over $100,000.

    Then in March, according to the Canadian Press, Finance Minister Bill Morneau halted the plan, stating that he was informed by "many small firms and innovators that they use stock options as a legitimate form of compensation for their employees."

    [​IMG]
    in March, Finance Minister Bill Morneau shelved a plan to change the taxation rate for stock options. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

    "I don't know why they weren't smart enough to say, 'OK, we'll just put a cap on it so it still helps the startups but closes this loophole that helps all the big rich CEOs,'" says Howlett.

    CBC News asked the government why it backtracked on its plan to cap the stock option deduction.

    "Our government is committed to strengthening the middle class," wrote department of finance spokesperson Annie Donolo in an email to CBC News. As part of its commitment, the government is reviewing the tax system as a whole "to ensure fairness, simplicity and effectiveness," she said.

    She made no mention of the deduction helping startups, the reason the Liberals gave last year for not changing it.

    Donolo would not say if the taxation of stock options will be addressed in the upcoming budget.

    A federal budget review issued last week by RBC stated that there is speculation that the budget will increase taxes on capital gains — profit from the sale of a capital asset which is also currently taxed at half the rate of regular income.

    Any change to the capital gains tax could also affect the stock options deduction.

    "That move could be hard to square with the government's billing of the document as an innovation budget, given that some sectors use stock-based compensation to attract talent," said the RBC report.

    I don't make the laws I just take advantage of them personally lol ...
     
  10. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    I try to always take the "hot links" out of my articles and hope I don't miss any but one never knows. I pull most of my Canadian news from CBC, CTV, Global and the Canadian Press if you are ever looking for the source material but won't post links because there are a few here that "search" my material for bannable things in them to rat me out to admin LOL. I fucking hate it when a good article pastes some kid at the bottom and makes the article unlinkable ...
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Edmonton Eskimos mourn the loss of Hall of Fame DB Larry Highbaugh
    March 22, 2017 11:38 am
    [​IMG]

    Members of the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association were notified this morning about the passing of Hall of Fame defensive back Larry Highbaugh.

    Highbaugh played 13 seasons in the CFL, 12 with the Eskimos after starting his career with the B.C. Lions in 1971. Highbaugh won six Grey Cup championships with the Eskimos and was a part of the five in a row teams. He is a four-time Western Division All-Star and a three-time CFL All-Star.

    Highbaugh holds several Eskimos records including most career interceptions with 66. He was inducted to the Eskimos Wall of Honour in 1996 and inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

    Highbaugh was working as a high school teacher in Snelville, Georgia, he was 67 years old.

    Rest In Peace dear friend ...
     
  12. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    It is Budget Day in Ottawa and the government is about to table it's 2nd budget of their administration.
     
    1. freethinker
      Are they going to give Justin enough to keep taking Ivanka out?
       
      freethinker, Mar 22, 2017
      justpassingthru likes this.
    2. justpassingthru
      I think it is cute that they are smitten with each other but he has a beautiful wife already ...
       
      justpassingthru, Mar 22, 2017
    3. freethinker
      But does the current wife have money?
       
      freethinker, Mar 22, 2017
    4. justpassingthru
      Justin does and her dad is a stockbroker but they are not filthy rich no.

      Justin and Sophie are childhood sweethearts ...
       
      justpassingthru, Mar 22, 2017
  13. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    7 things to watch for in today's federal budget
    Finance Minister Bill Morneau's second federal budget isn't expected to match last year's big-ticket spending commitments.

    The big Liberal moves for the middle class rolled out for 2016. The 12-year infrastructure plan was the headline of the fall economic statement.

    The cupboard is bare now. Liberals are borrowing for the foreseeable future.

    So, what's likely in 2017? Smaller, strategic moves. Here's what to look for.

    A rosier economic outlook, but ...
    There's wind lifting Morneau's sails heading into this budget. It's never a bad thing to have headlines about the Canadian economy "beating expectations."

    His challenge now? Keeping things up.

    Despite ambitious spending plans, Liberals said they'd keep the federal debt manageable relative to the strength of the economy, as measured by its gross domestic product. They aim to return the federal debt-to-GDP ratio to 31 per cent in five years, where it was when they took over in 2015-16.

    But the global economy offers little reassurance. So one of the themes Wednesday may be "wait and see." Expect some decisions to be punted to the fall economic update, or beyond.

    Morneau built a large contingency reserve ($6 billion) into the 2016 budget calculations, and then took flak for eliminating that risk amount from his deficit calculations last fall. Will a large contingency reserve return for the 2017 budget projections?

    Revised infrastructure figures
    The 12-year, $180-billion infrastructure plan needs updating.

    The parliamentary budget officer's recent work suggests that, so far, less money made it out the door than originally anticipated.

    There's an upside to this — a smaller deficit for 2016-17, for starters. But funding can be reallocated for future years.

    We may also learn more about the proposed Canada Infrastructure Bank, and how it differs from the public-private partnerships in previous infrastructure plans.

    Jim Leech, the high-profile adviser named to get it up and running, has suggested some projects may not even need government money.

    International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne is pitching to investors as far away as the United Arab Emirates.

    Progress with provinces
    Since the last budget, Liberals have completed negotiations with the provinces on Canada Pension Plan reform and health-care funding (almost, anyway).

    Upnext are new labour market agreements with the provinces to renew or replace the more than $2 billion the federal government contributes to skills training.

    Morneau's economic advisory council has proposed a new arm's-length organization to research and lead a new workplace skills development strategy called the FutureSkills Lab, similar to the independent Canadian Institute for Health Information.

    What role will provinces play?

    The federal government also needs provinces on board for its social infrastructure plans.

    A shortage of child care, for example, can be a barrier to joining the workforce, limiting productivity and economic growth.

    But the federal government can't act alone, though Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos mentioned rising child-care costs during his pre-budget tour earlier this month.

    'Innovation' strategy
    Beyond skills training, the second report from Morneau's economic advisory council focused on promoting "innovation."

    Some work is already underway. In June, a new visa system will make it easier for top talent to immigrate.

    The last budget earmarked $800 million to help industries form "clusters" in specific geographic areas. Today's budget may expand on this.
    Canada's in the enviable position of beating economic growth projections at the moment, but there's plenty of global uncertainty to warrant caution in his forecasts this year. (Christoph Schmidt/Associated Press)

    It may also offer more venture capital, either renewing an existing program or replacing it with one that matches private sector investments for greater impact.

    Capital gains, stock option changes
    The capital gains inclusion rate, currently at 50 per cent, may rise to where it was in the 1980s or '90s, taxing over 60 per cent or even up to 75 per cent of investment income. A higher rate would be closer to how corporate dividends are taxed.

    The Ontario government is among those urging Morneau to help cool hot housing markets by capping how much investment income is tax-free when a non-primary residence is sold.

    Prior to last year's budget, the startup community deterred the Liberals from keeping an election promise to cap the tax deduction for employee stock options at $100,000, arguing that stock options help new and growing companies attract and keep top employees.

    Liberals also deferred plans to lower the small business tax rate to nine per cent. Some wealthy Canadians form small businesses for their families in order to be taxed at a lower rate, so if this promise makes a comeback, watch for measures to make sure it doesn't offer a bigger tax dodge for the wealthy.

    Close the boutique?
    Morneau also has a tax review panel that's studied the effectiveness of various credits and deductions.

    Their advice has not been made public, but several panelists are on the record as favouring an end to so-called "boutique" tax credits that make the tax system complex, less efficient and more regressive. Morneau's first budget cut some, and more may be on the way out.

    Non-refundable tax credits for seniors disproportionately help the wealthy. Will this government shift to spending more on seniors' benefits that are income-tested?

    Gender-based analysis
    The fall economic statement promised that this year's budget will be the first to include a "rigorous analysis" to measure how the budget affects men and women differently. Spending proposals now need to show evidence these outcomes were considered.

    Will there be a noticeable policy shift as a result?
     
  14. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

    Joined:
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    34,439
    The Canada Savings Bond program is gone fellow Canadians ...

    Price of booze went up lol. SHOCKER
     
  15. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    The one thing that I am hearing across the country right now is the disappointment in the dropping of the public transportation tax credit that will hit those that can least afford the hardest.

    Not a lot of good news in this budget overall but some will slightly benefit but it is basically a lot of belt tightening.

    The expected deficit this year is 28.5 billion.
     
    1. View previous comments...
    2. freethinker
      Damn, we try to be nice and donate ya some extra taxpayers...
       
      freethinker, Mar 22, 2017
      justpassingthru likes this.
    3. Rixer
      That sounds like something you took from Trump's immigration plan. .. and I thought you were against that....
       
      Rixer, Mar 22, 2017
      justpassingthru likes this.
  16. M4MPetCock

    M4MPetCock Porn Star Banned!

    Joined:
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    Canada looks to outlaw free speech!



    Canada Would Rather You Didn’t Criticize Islam, Eh?



    3/23/17


    It’s the day after yet another high-profile Islamic terrorist attack, and you know what that means. It’s time to start worrying about the real victims!

    CBC News:

    The House of Commons has passed M-103, a non-binding motion condemning Islamophobia and religious discrimination.

    All NDP and nearly all Liberal MPs supported the motion, which passed 201-91…

    The vote follows months of bitter debate and a series of protests and counter-protests across the country over whether the private member’s motion would limit free speech or single out Islam for special treatment in Canadian law.​

    Can speech really be considered “free” if it hurts a Muslim’s feelings? There oughtta be a law! And in Canada, it’s only a matter of time before there is one.

    Any speech that someone else hates is, by definition, hate speech. And hate speech is bad. So when in doubt, stick a Tim Hortons in it and shut the heck up.

    Ji
    [/URL]
     
    1. BigSuzyB
      Thankfully this is just a piece of fluff, only a motion based in emotion after the mosque shooting in Quebec. Canada had a hate speech law for a couple of years before it struck down by the Supreme court as unconstitutional.
       
      BigSuzyB, Mar 28, 2017
  17. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Liberals to announce marijuana will be legal by July 1, 2018
    Provinces will have right to decide how marijuana is distributed and sold, CBC News has learned

    [​IMG]

    The Liberal government will announce legislation next month that will legalize marijuana in Canada by July 1, 2018.

    CBC News has learned that the legislation will be announced during the week of April 10 and will broadly follow the recommendation of a federally appointed task force that was chaired by former liberal Justice Minister Anne McLellan.

    Bill Blair, the former Toronto police chief who has been stickhandling the marijuana file for the government, briefed the Liberal caucus on the roll-out plan and the legislation during caucus meetings this weekend, according to a senior government official who spoke to CBC News on condition of anonymity.

    [​IMG]
    Bill Blair, parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice, briefed the Liberal caucus on new marijuana legislation, which leaves the provinces to decide how marijuana is distributed and sold, according to a senior government official. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

    Provinces to control sales
    The federal government will be in charge of making sure the country's marijuana supply is safe and secure and Ottawa will license producers.

    But the provinces will have the right to decide how the marijuana is distributed and sold. Provincial governments will also have the right to set price.

    While Ottawa will set a minimum age of 18 to buy marijuana, the provinces will have the option of setting a higher age limit if they wish.

    4 plants per household
    As for Canadians who want to grow their own marijuana, they will be limited to four plants per household.

    Legalizing marijuana was one of the more controversial promises Justin Trudeau made as he campaigned to become prime minister.

    But in their platform the Liberals said it was necessary to "legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana" in order to keep drugs "out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals."

    The Liberals had promised to introduce legislation by the Spring of 2017. Announcing the legislation the week of April 10 will allow the party to hit that deadline.

    Raids raise questions
    Trudeau referred again to that rough timetable a few weeks ago when he said the legislation would be introduced before the summer. But at the same time he also warned that it wasn't yet open season for the legal sale of marijuana.

    "Until we have a framework to control and regulate marijuana, the current laws apply," Trudeau said in Esquimalt, B.C. on March 1.

    That warning became more concrete a week later, when police in Toronto, Vancouver and other cities carried out raids on marijuana dispensaries and charged several people with possession and trafficking, including noted pot advocates Marc and Jodie Emery.

    Trudeau's promise to legalize marijuana was seen as one of the reasons for the Liberals' strong showing among youth voters in the 2015 election.

    But at the NDP's leadership debate in Montreal Sunday, which was focused on youth issues, several of the candidates pointed to marijuana legislation as an example of a broken Liberal promise.

    "I do not believe Justin Trudeau is going to bring in the legalization of marijuana and as proof that ... we are still seeing, particularly young, Canadians being criminalized by simple possession of marijuana," said B.C. MP Peter Julian.
     
  18. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    Maxime Bernier says he'd deploy military as needed to stop illegal border crossings
    Conservative leadership contenders talk tough on border enforcement 1 day before deadline for new members

    Here are two of Canada's "Trump wannabes" (Conseratives)

    Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier says he would dedicate more resources to address the flow of migrants crossing the U.S.-Canada border illegally. And if that doesn't work, he'd consider temporary measures, including deploying the military to the border.

    Bernier's comments came after one of his rivals for the leadership, Kevin O'Leary, said in a campaign email Monday he'd use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to prevent people from claiming refugee status in Canada after crossing into the country from the United States outside of regular border crossings.

    Bernier said he'd also consider using the notwithstanding clause, as well as providing "whatever additional resources are required" for the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to respond.

    "If it takes too long to put that additional manpower in place, I will look at additional temporary measures — including deploying Canadian Forces in troubled border areas," Bernier said.

    Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia have been dealing with a surge in asylum seekers skirting legal border crossings to enter Canada from the U.S. since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has promised a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States.

    Canada's Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States requires asylum seekers to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, but only applies at legal border crossings, where ineligible claimants can be denied entry to Canada.

    Migrants who are intercepted after crossing into Canada at other points are detained, identified and questioned then turned over to CBSA for processing. If they are ineligible for refugee status they could still be removed from Canada — but in the meantime, they have access to some social assistance.

    The notwithstanding clause of the 1982 Constitution allows the federal and provincial governments to enact legislation that overrides some sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and has only been used a handful of times.

    O'Leary said in his email that use of the notwithstanding clause would allow the government to pass a law "making it clear that anyone crossing into Canada illegally from the U.S. would be ineligible to make a refugee claim."

    Notwithstanding clause
    Some commentators noted the clause does not apply to international agreements on refugees, nor to the Safe Third County agreement between Canada and the U.S.

    O'Leary's campaign later confirmed the proposed use of the notwithstanding clause referred to overriding obligations to refugees established by the Supreme Court in a 1985 ruling called the Singh decision.

    That ruling recognized that asylum seekers are entitled, under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to a refugee-status hearing before facing potential removal from the country.

    The statements from Bernier and O'Leary came ahead of a Tuesday deadline for signing up new members to be eligible to vote in the Conservative leadership contest.

    They followed comments made on the weekend by Steven Blaney, who sent out a strongly worded fundraising email denouncing alleged anti-Semitic remarks by some Muslim leaders.

    And Pierre Lemieux reinforced his opposition to legalizing marijuana amid news that the Trudeau Liberals would introduce legislation this spring to legalize pot by July 2018.

    The Conservatives choose a new permanent leader to replace interim leader Rona Ambrose on May 27.
     
  19. shootersa

    shootersa Frisky Feline

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2010
    Messages:
    81,270
    Excellent. :thumbsup:
    One thing we know about ILLEGAL Immigrants pouring across the Canadian US border;
    They don't respect national borders.
    For them, it's really more of a suggestion apparently.
    For Shooters part, he'd pay Canada to fly these law breakers back to their country of origin.

    Now, if Canada said "we're gonna build a wall, and America will pay for it"
    Shooter's answer would be
    :rage::punch: No. :D
     
    • Like Like x 1
    1. justpassingthru
      That unfortunately is one of the pitfalls of having the worlds longest "undefended" border.

      Canadian cities are now becoming "sanctuary" safe zones for illegals.
       
      justpassingthru, Mar 27, 2017
      Wafarer likes this.
  20. justpassingthru

    justpassingthru No Rest For The Wicked Banned!

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    'We are ready': Canada-Europe trade deal set to kick in, mostly, by July 1
    After many delays as the EU ratified CETA, Europe is waiting for Canada to implement the agreement

    Proponents of Canada's trade deal with the European Union will soon find out if eight years of negotiations and lobbying were worth it.

    Canada is preparing to provisionally apply the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by July 1.

    "We are ready on the European side," the EU's trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on a visit to Ottawa last Tuesday to promote the deal.

    Now it's the EU's turn to wait for Canada.

    After CETA's successful ratification vote in February, the EU suggested it could be provisionally applied by April 1.

    Malstrom now says the agreement will enter into force "within weeks."

    "We have done our work," she said. "We don't see any delays with this."

    Or any more delays, she could have said.

    Negotiations ended in 2014. But when opposition to the controversial investment clause emerged in Europe, Canada agreed to revisions a year ago.

    More "clarifications" were required when the signing ceremony in October was nearly undone by last-minute brinksmanship by the Wallonia region of Belgium, which wanted changes to agricultural and other provisions.

    In Canada, the federal cabinet ratifies CETA, so unlike in Europe, there's no voting drama here.

    The legislation to bring Canada's laws and regulations into compliance, C-30, is now before the Senate foreign affairs and trade committee.

    It meets Wednesday and Thursday, with International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne and senior officials expected as witnesses.

    A few clauses of the bill were tweaked in mostly technical ways during the Commons committee's review. There's no sign of senators holding it up.

    [​IMG]
    European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom, left, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's former international trade minister, Chrystia Freeland, celebrated the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement during an EU-Canada summit in Brussels last October. (Francois Lenoir/Associated Press)

    Provinces and territories have to comply too.

    Ontario and Quebec needed to legislate changes — Ontario has done so and the process is underway in Quebec (but expected to pass.) Other provinces will amend regulations and policies by cabinet order.

    The heat's on to wrap this up before legislators break for the summer.

    Then diplomatic notes will be exchanged, fixing a date for provisional application, likely no later than July 1.

    New investment court on hold
    CETA's being implemented in two stages — about 95 per cent of it now, the rest later — because of a complex jurisdictional battle still playing out in Europe.

    A few measures, some argue, fall outside the European Commission's purview, including the reworked investor court system that allows companies to sue governments for decisions that unfairly damage their business interests.

    For both legal and political reasons, these clauses are on hold until 38 national legislatures (and a few regional ones) vote and hold referendums across 27 of the 28 member countries. (Malta doesn't require a vote.)

    Latvia, where Canadian troops are headed shortly on a NATO mission, was the first country to ratify.

    The Czech Republic may be next. Malmstrom said others will follow before summer.

    "In a huge majority of countries, it will be no problem," the trade commissioner said. "There are a few countries where this is still controversial," but over time proponents will "show that CETA is not actually the end of democracy, it's a good deal."

    "All member countries have promised to do their utmost to get it ratified," she said.

    If there's a "no" vote somewhere, they'll figure it out, she said. "That's what makes European politics so exciting!"


    [​IMG]
    'We're not building walls,' says the European Union's trade commissioner
    Politics News

    Ratifying the EU's trade deal with South Korea took more than four years. But how long CETA takes may not concern Canadians.

    Much of what benefits businesses and consumers won't wait, including an immediate end to 98 per cent of tariffs, more access to previously restricted goods, chances to bid on each other's government contracts and improved labour mobility.

    The few tariffs that will remain are mostly on agricultural products.

    Most goods will become duty-free, including clothing or footwear that has 10-20 per cent tariffs now. Tariffs on passenger cars phase out over seven years.

    But as summer approaches, exactly how trade will be liberalized for two commodities that drove the toughest bargaining isn't quite resolved.

    Cheese anxiety
    Canada agreed to import 18,500 tonnes of EU cheeses annually, a volume representing about two per cent of its otherwise protected dairy market.

    Who gets to import it — and profit? Trade minister Champagne hasn't said yet.

    "We've been hearing for weeks that it's coming soon," said Jacques Lefebvre, the president of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, concerned about the short timeline to prepare.

    "We were close to decision with the previous minister, but then there was a (cabinet) shuffle," he said.

    Existing importers and retailers are lobbying hard. But Canadian farmers and processors argue that since their profits are threatened by the new EU cheese, they should get a share of the import quota.

    CETA specifies that 30 per cent of the quota must go to businesses who don't currently import cheese.

    An announcement by the trade minister next month will set up what consumers see on grocery shelves.

    Will previously-hard-to-find European cheeses appear alongside Canadian ones? Or will cheaper imports simply bump off domestic products?

    Red tape for meat
    Other farmers see a different challenge: European food safety standards.

    Europe has agreed to import exponentially more Canadian meat: The annual quota for beef rises from 15,000 tonnes to 65,000 tonnes. For pork, from 6,000 to over 80,000 tonnes.

    It's a thin slice of a huge market — under one per cent of what Europeans eat.

    But since Canada's been shut out for decades, it's a big deal. Livestock farmers need new customers as their top buyers, the Americans, make trade threats.

    However, a long-running debate over food safety standards leaves most meat plants uncertified for EU exports. A slow, scientific process to prove Canada's methods work won't be done before July.

    Plus, only a few dozen farms do all the paperwork and inspections the EU requires to certify animals as free of hormones and food additives. Hundreds need to start. And expand their herds.

    Fortunately, this quota phases in over five years.

    "We're not panicking," says John Masswohl, a spokesman for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. "We'll take the time. We'll get it done right."

    "This agreement is about the long-term potential, and about being transformative," he said. "It's becoming real now, isn't it?"