London Has Tank Building for Oil Protection Abroad, Not for Peaceful Productivity

Is this someone's son/daughter driving?

Do you really want your tax dollars supporting building of military equipment that will not be used in Canada but wasted on foreign lands to fight foreign wars that kill your children?  London plant closes and manufacturing jobs are lost.  Where are the glory pics of McKay and Fantino in front of one of these ugly people killing machines that are expected to be built in London, Ontario?  These fey, mewly suits who have never seen combat are enamored of  machinery of death.

“This Government continues to follow through on its commitment to provide our men and women in uniform with the tools they need to do the jobs asked of them,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. “Whether it be a new fleet of federal ships, a new family of combat vehicles or new planes to defend Canadian skies, this government is providing the Canadian Forces with the foundation to build a first-class, modern military that is ready to take on the challenges of the 21st Century.”
The LAV III Upgrade Project Implementation Phase contract is necessary to improve the protection of these vehicles against mines and improvised explosive devices, improve their mobility, improve the safety of Canadian Forces members travelling on board the LAV III, and incorporate ergonomic and information management improvements. The contract, valued at $1.064 billion, will upgrade 550 LAV IIIs, extending their lifespan to 2035.  source:  London-based company will upgrade Canadian Forces’ fleet of Light Armoured Vehicles

Kill Green Grants and Build These Canada

 These machines do nothing to grow our GDP except grow our reliance on a standing military which is obsolete in today's world.  Let the Israels fight their own war.  Let the Syrians and Egyptians be their own conflict resolvers.  If a free market economy works for the WTO, then it ought to be the same for foreign aggressions. 

If you want to find out more, well it's top secret.  Follow the links for Supply Chain Management

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We are pleased to be working once again with TACOM in support of their Foreign Military Sales program. 

Same Headline Different Year- Tar Sands Monitoring

One year ago, the message that is pertinent today was titled Time to get serious about oil sands monitoring  
warning that the federal and provincial governments broke laws in failing to monitor industry and environment or to protect land rights of First Nations.

How we develop our oil sands, and whether we adhere to scientific standards, uphold our environmental laws and regulations, and meet our obligations to First Nations and future generations of Albertans will determine whether or not they are being developed ethically.WILLIAM F. DONAHUE, PH.D., LL.B., SPECIAL ADVISOR ON WATER POLICY — FEB 7, 2011

The very thorough analysis written for a blog about watershed and water rights protection is scientifically presented; that is its purpose.  It is also politically motivated.  Underpinning the understanding that water is a human right in a democratic country.  And certainly, the laws were not respected in the tar sands development.

Where were the consultations with the community?  Why are companies getting rights to land and continuing to expand beyond what is tolerable for the well being of the region?  Yet there is no real monitoring in place but plenty of promises.  Notice the date on the press release.  Well, not much different for February 9, 2012.

Oil-sands monitoring regime aims to protect air and water quality ...

Jul 21, 2011 ... Environment Minister hopes plan will help improve reputation of Alberta energy sector.

www.theglobeandmail.com/.../oil-sands-monitoring.../article2104903/

Canada to step up Tar Sands 'monitoring': Output set to double by ...

Jul 21, 2011 ... Canada will boost monitoring of pollution from its oil sands projects, hoping to speed up U.S. approval of a pipeline to transport crude to the ...

www.sierraclub.ca/en/node/4378

Creekside: Feds unveil "world class" tarsands PR monitoring plan

Jul 22, 2011 ... Feds unveil "world class" tarsands PR monitoring plan. This week saw our federal, provincial and territorial energy ministers, minus Ontario, trot ...

creekside1.blogspot.com/.../feds-unveil-world-class-tarsands-pr.html

Why oil sands monitoring is still a long way off - The Globe and Mail

Jul 21, 2011 ... Governments agree there is a problem, but are at odds about who should solve it or how.

www.theglobeandmail.com/...oil-sands-monitoring.../article2105867/

Right, that was eight months ago and we saw nothing about the results.  Yet huge expanses have continued, not incrementally but were expedited to maximize the influx of investment.

New oil sands monitoring strategy to be announced Friday | Energy ...

1 day ago ... By Darcy Henton EDMONTON — Ottawa and Alberta are announcing a new strategy Friday to monitor the environmental impacts of the oil ...

business.financialpost.com/.../new-oil-sands-monitoring-stratgey-to-be- announced-friday/

The last link was yesterday.  You can see why nobody trusts that we will see any results for another three years.  Look at Environment Canada or Stats Can and the latest stats are from 2009 for water use.  So for 6 years, the world's biggest pollution will get to do its damage freely.

The Agenda Pushes for Keystone While Jobs Are Lost

Let me be clear.  The media is still pushing all those positive stories about how we need the tar sands and Keystone when in fact it ought to be shut down as a complete failure.  Our country has slid downhill so dramatically that it's hard to recognize it anymore.  Yes, Steve Pakin's The Agenda is stating the positives about the Keystone, despite the evidence of our Petro State linked closely to the fortunes of the wealth exporters and job destroyers.

London's Caterpillar workers were locked out and shut down today.  Harper plans to go to China, for more talks about prosperity, capacity, incremental death.

When Harper took office in the winter of 2006, there were 2,127,200 manufacturing jobs in Canada. Today there are 1,743,700 -- a total loss of nearly 400,000 manufacturing jobs under his watch, according to a Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey. Over 40,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last 12 months alone.

 The federal government has failed to protect Canada's manufacturing sector. Tax breaks have not saved a single job in London. We need to protect Canadian jobs and we need a government that will stand up for all Canadians.( Huffington Post.ca)

There is no immediate fix for lost jobs in London, but a tough lesson learned.  It's time to push back from the sidelines and stop corporate welfare, free money and reckless giveaways.  Impose austerity with taxpayers' dollars and institute taxes on money flowing out of the country.

Bloggers have suggested a Tobin Tax which the Canadian Parliament passed in 1999 but never really implemented.  Flaherty dismissed any thoughts of it as if it were only up to him.  Notice, that's how the reigning party speaks these days.

Comments that make sense

EM_Spectrum

9:38 PM on February 4, 2012

Here's a different thought for all the anti-union Harpocult!

How about the government(s), provincial & federal, delist Caterpillar as a vendor!

That would take a bite out of their $5 billion per year Canadian sales!!!

If they don't want to business in Canada, then why should Canada do business with them!!!

Perhaps, while they are they at it, they can do the same for Vale, which shutdown their Manitoba operation after receiving $1 billion of taxpayers money to NOT close down!!!

Here are some positions in favour of a tax that ends corporate bailouts. 

Green Party position on Tobin Tax
Council of Canadians
Centre for Policy Alternatives

The last link above has a plan on limiting all those free trade, world trade, globalization and free market ideas that have not been any good to any of the countries as a whole.

• oppose any further liberalization of trade and investment rules, including at the World Trade Organization; demand a full review of the social, economic, cultural and ecological consequences of WTO and NAFTA decisions to date; and work for the establishment of new global agreements aimed at regulating the activities of transnational corporations and global investment;
• push for an international Tobin Tax on currency exchanges, to cool down the casino economy; and
• freeze and slowly lower the limit on foreign investment for RRSPs and other tax-subsidized pension plans (so that tax-deductible capital stays at work in Canada). 

The above are push back to recapture some market share for the plebes who at present are being dictated to and in the case of the London Caterpillar workers, simply smacked down.  Follow the U.S. lead to insist on worker's rights to work close to home, to be viable members of their community.


Lost jobs are indeed going to immigrants, of which the new classification is called temporary, so they are not subject to the scrutiny of statistical oversight.  They will never get citizenship, but will be parachuted in for cheap labor in the tar sands, the local Timmys, because there is a shortage in the work camp towns.  And the government wants to give its businesses a cheap supply of labor until they break the backs of its own people into submission.  Why?  Because a weak people become sheep.
Download the full pdf on the temporary worker story here.

• Do Canadians know how increasing numbers of temporary foreign workers is changing immigration? PDF File, 199 KB

Placing Restrictions On Polls To Reveal Backgrounder

Lately, polls are being used and misused to influence public opinion towards issues and to sell bad ideas generally over all the media. 
I don't know enough about the Indian Act at this time to make a vote on whether to change it given that the Keystone discussions are taking place at this time.  To open it up under the Harper regime might expose dangers and loss to the lands of native peoples, their rights over water and mobility.  Care2 Petition gives a slight background, but I'm not sure who originated it, what their interests are, whether Aboriginals have a view on the Act and its repercussions.  For example, voting might be imposed upon them, land ownership might result, then fragmenting the band ethos and allowing for abuses.  Together, the bands are strong, divided, they are going to have to go to court and lose against big business, just like the rest of us.

Wouldn't the harper government just love to be able to have use of "eminent domain".  Or is it already able to use crown lands at will for development?  Under the umbrella term of "best interests of Canada"!

Stop Castle Logging to Protect Grizzly Population

Concerned Albertans stand up for Bear Habitat

Edmonton – Laurie Blakeman, Official Opposition Critic for Sustainable Resource Development (SRD)

Grizzly bears are already endangered in Alberta yet the legislation to protect them really is ineffective and insensitive in the spring especially when mothers are cubbing in their dens.


In a province as vast as Alberta, it is shocking to know that only about 700 bears are extant while during 5 years over 240 have been killed.  Hunting has not been allowed since 2006.  There must be a means to ensure that they have a safe area in which to live and multiply without having the added dangers of encroaching clear cutting and mining.

The province of Alberta is not acting on making the species a protected one in Alberta, seeming to cave instead to unfettered land exploitation.  The only way to speedily make sure that this doesn't happen, is to make significant areas into provincial parks.

Attawapiskat Still Waiting, Angus Gets Standing Ovation

John Duncan, slightly more alert today

 Charlie Angus demanded to know why the money for the modular homes is not forthcoming so that people can be spared the hardship of makeshift and untenable living conditions.  The bitterness of this government to hold out tough until demands for book keeping are met just shows that the issue is really a power struggle and precedent setting.  They need to show "accountability to the taxpayers" yet are willing to fritter away huge sums with impunity in other matters.


Angus said officials from diamond company De Beers,  the diamond mine closeby will prepare the land and the 22 homes are ready to be installed with minimum delay at present but for the holdout stalemate.

Children are also without schooling for the past two months.  Everyone knows how hard it is to keep the interest and momentum up with education once it has been stalled.

The reasons for lack of funding and placing blame is well argued in The National Post so why repeat it when the writer Chelsea Vowel made clear where the inefficiencies lie, namely the bureaucracy of delivery of services, lack of real co-ordination and no accountability from start to finish. 


The issue is more than just mistreatment towards the band in one circumstance, but a long going racist and discriminatory series of legislations made all the more despicable because a watching, silent public plays a role in the crime.  Yes, Canadians.  All you who did not vote in the last election are going to have to answer for the government's manipulations of the Aboriginal people's displacement on their own lands.

The mining companies are making sure that they profit and plunder while leaving the land destroyed for habitation.  Plans to divert water from the rivers where settlements predominate are afoot as in this explanation.  The United States needs water for the midwest.  Fracking is spoiling most of its fresh water and Canada has the most fresh water in the world.  So, the Aboriginal Peoples will have to be plundered yet again. 

So, the housing is just a start of how the government is framing the narrative.  How it plays out in the public depends on making sure all Canadians do not allow misinformation to take over the truth.

Love The Blackberry not the Apple Toy

For doing real business, the Blackberry is by far a preferred product when compared to the IPOD.  Yet the Canadian Press is beating it up, or trying to, and for no other reason except to kill it.  Blackberries are made in several countries in the world, not just China, and one of them being the United States.  It's an ethical company that gives back to the community.  Bad press should be shunned.  Here's a Globe commentator who agrees.

A_sqrd

4:35 AM on February 1, 2012

I must admit I find this article incredibly strange.

There is absolutely no doubt that Apple is doing amazingly well, with results that are "out of this world" - see recent G&M article. Also, RIM has had quite a few huge missteps, and was caught completely flat-footed by the iPhone, which they arrogantly viewed as not a threat to them prior to its launch.

However, that in itself is hardly news anymore. Also, there is an amazing lack of analysis in this article. No statistics or even remote attempt at a competent review of blackberry usage among professionals working in the legal and financial sector. It is mostly based on a conversation in a coffee shop with a couple of lawyers...and even those guys still seem to use a blackberry and say that the majority of the lawyers they work with do as well. Bizarre. Mr. Gray - what would possess you to write this type of article? Do you hold yourself to any standard of journalistic integrity?

Your article seems to amount to: "Hey, listen to what a couple of lawyers in a coffee shop told me - they don't like their blackberries. BUT - they are using them, and so are their friends. I have some other info too, but those guys don't want to go on record, but they said some bad things. So in conclusion - even elites don't use a blackberry anymore, except that they often do."

G&M - you really should be ashamed. What is your long-term vision for this paper? More of this type of journalism?

Kanada-USA

3:11 AM on February 1, 2012

the Globe is owned by BELL which makes a lot of money selling iPhones and iPaids, etc.

Bell is a terrible company, they treat their employees like garbage, customers even worse.
So this constant attack on BB is some Bell corporate order from on high to sell more iPhone contracts from Bell.

Someone is getting iPaid along the way.

Randolph Duke

12:35 AM on February 1, 2012

G&M doesn't need to promote RIM just because they are Canadian, but they seem quick on the draw to report anything which makes the company look like it's going down.

It's not this one particular article though - it is the overall reporting about RIM that seems inclined towards unfavorable news, rather than maintaining equal focus on positive accomplishments.

Personally I thought this article was disgraceful, and totally unnecessary.

YKER

3:38 AM on February 1, 2012

You wonder why this Toronto newspaper is losing their loyal subscribers/readers.

I'm using a leaked OS 7.1 on my Bold 9900 and I can tell you that it is a better phone than a kiddie i-toy.

Blackberry Traffic is now the best "phone GPS" out there released days ago.

You can now share internet using WIFI with "Mobile Hospot Connection" in BB OS 7.1.

Puck

4:06 AM on February 1, 2012

I'm suffering an iPad right now. It does one fun thing at a time while swtching seamlessly between apps. Typing is slower with just a single digit instead of opposing thumbs. The auto correct can be ludicrous.

The Globe and Mail have Harper trolls voting thumbs down.  Hard to believe that they need to politicize even the Canadian product.  Most real readers would just remain neutral.  These folks are paid to spread dissent and bully pro Blackberry users with sarcasm and hate. Sample of troll below.

TiredOfMcGuinty

9:07 PM on January 31, 2012

Hard to believe these idiots won't sell this company. They'd rather drive it into the ground. A real shame. As soon as one of their competitors decides to enter the business arena, RIM will be dead meat.