Stephen Harper’s $130 Million Chapter 11 Giveaway
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Aug. 27, 2010
Stephen Harper’s Conservative government reached a $130 million out-of-court settlement with the bankruptcy trustees overseeing the restructuring of AbitibiBowater Inc., a failed forestry and paper giant… The Abitibi settlement ranks as the largest Chapter 11 payout ever made by any North American government. Ottawa’s capitulation will clearly encourage more companies to take aggressive action through the NAFTA kangaroo court, over any government action (nationally prejudicial or otherwise) seen to hurt business profits and the interests of any investors, whatever their nationality.
Tags: globalization, privatization, rights, standard of living
Posted in Debates | 1 Comment »
Bottom line: Canadian banks should pay their fair share
Friday, April 30th, 2010
April 30, 2010
…the Finance Minister’s tough talk is providing useful cover for the fact that his government is actually cutting bank taxes – not increasing them. On Jan. 1, corporate taxes fell by a full percentage point; under Mr. Flaherty’s plan, they will fall three more points by 2012. That will save Canada’s über-profitable financial sector about $2-billion a year… Financiers are economically and morally obliged to make a larger contribution to the cost of running our government. This is justified by their uniquely profitable and protected status – not to mention that, if the state hadn’t ridden to their rescue, the bankers would all be wearing barrels today.
Tags: economy, globalization, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
A reason to celebrate: The lowest paid in Ontario just got a raise
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Mar. 31, 2010
The recent rebound in minimum wages still hasn’t fixed the damage from decades of neglect. In real terms, the average minimum is still a dollar lower than in 1976. And relative to average hourly productivity, minimum wages have continued to shrink…. to help low-wage workers capture the same share of output as they did in the 1970s, minimum wages should be increased to $12.50 an hour. To bring low-wage workers up to the poverty line, it should go higher.
Tags: featured, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
This agreement isn’t worth the cost
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Published on Monday, Feb. 08, 2010. Last updated on Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010.
…for individual companies genuinely harmed, this deal won’t make any difference. Yet, our politicians want to permanently tie our hands governing a major additional chunk of our economy – just so they can prove (like in 1988) they did something.
Posted in Debates | 1 Comment »
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