Tag Archives: Immigration

Roundup: The GG and the Chief

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Despite Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s demand that the Governor General be part of a meeting with the Prime Minister as a condition of ending her hunger strike, His Excellency has said that it’s not his place to meet with her over political issues, and will defer until given political instruction to do so – which is how things work under Responsible Government, in case anyone has any doubts.

Jason Kenney plans to re-launch the federal skilled workers immigration programme by May, which he hopes to keep more foreign-trained doctors and engineers from driving cabs (never mind that the biggest holdup to credential recognition is provincial regulatory bodies).

As was promised, the government has moved to eliminate gun show regulations – not that they were ever actually implemented in the first place.

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QP: New MP, same questions

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The calendar running out, and so many things left to bat the government with, it was going to be another fairly testy QP, but before things could get underway, the business or the House paused so that newly elected NDP MP Murray Rankin could be brought into the a chamber to take his seat. When QP got underway, Thomas Mulcair read off a trio of questions about when the government would be clarifying the Investment Canada Act, per the NDP opposition day motion yesterday which the Conservatives agreed to. Harper responded that they already clarified the rules last Friday when they drew the line in the sand around state-owned enterprises — hence why they voted for said motion. Mulcair carried on, asking a pair of questions on the F-35s, and why there were no regional industrial benefits. Harper assured him of the Seven-Point Plan™, and named several companies in Montreal that are benefitting from subcontracts for the plane’s construction. Bob Rae was up next, and pressed about the cost figures for the F-35 purchase. Harper went back to the Seven-Point Plan™, and reminded Rae that when you keep lengthening the service lifetime that the costs will also keep rising.

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Roundup: Investment rules and an eye on joint ventures

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Those new foreign investment rules unveiled by Harper along with the Nexen and Progress Energy decisions will likely have an impact beyond the oil sands – but it’s clear as to how just yet. What it will likely do is involve state-owned enterprises in more joint ventures and having them become minority shareholders to conform to the new rules. Economist Stephen Gordon looks at the economics of investing in the oil sands and why there is a need for foreign investment (and why most of the fears about foreign state-owned enterprises are overblown).

Oh, and those theories that Harper put these markers around state-owned enterprises as a marker for future trade negotiations with China? Paul Wells wonders about the logic of that considering that Canada-China FIPA that’s sitting there, unratified…

On the F-35 file, certain critics say that the promised industrial benefits (currently pegged in the $9 billion range, down from the $12 billion originally stated) aren’t likely to materialise, which is a ticking time bomb for the government. To date those industrial benefits have amounted to less than $500 million.

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QP: Predictable questions on Nexen and the F-35s

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The last sitting Monday of the year was a bit scrappy, but not to the point of rancour. All three leaders were in the House, which I am taking to be a sign that the House will rise before the week is out. Thomas Mulcair angrily read off a trio of questions about the Nexen takeover and accusing Harper of not respecting the rule of law. Harper responded by assuring him that the decisions were made under the current laws and that going forward there would be no more acquisitions by state-owned companies. Matthew Kellway was up next to ask about the leaked numbers from the KPMG audit of the F-35s and demanded an open competition. Ambrose insisted the secretariat was doing just that, and reminded him that the more years you add to the lifecycle, the higher the cost figure grows. Bob Rae pressed on about F-35s, repeating previous government statements about their necessity. Harper gave the party lines about how no money was spent on acquisition and that the CF-18s needed to be replaced. For his final question, Rae asked for the terms and conditions of the CNOOC and Petronas purchases to be made public. Harper reminded him that it was not yet the proper time to do so, as there are confidential commercial concerns.

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Roundup: A very big decision while a firestorm rages

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The government has decided to allow both the CNOOC-Nexen and Petronas-Progress Energy takeovers go through, but with the warning that henceforth, no more state-owned enterprises will really be allowed to invest in the oil sands barring “exceptional circumstances.”  And the fact that Harper himself held a press conference and took questions for thirty minutes – something he never does – means that this was really a Very Big Deal. And yes, the NDP are opposed, in case you were wondering. In advance of the decision, Macleans.ca had a Q&A that explains the review process and what it all means. Here’s a look at Nexen’s market share in Canada. Andrew Coyne notes how big of a mess the foreign investment rules are going forward.

As the renewed firestorm over the F-35s continues – John Ivison now reporting that the KPMG report says they’ll cost nearly $46 billion to purchase – word has it that the government will have four independent monitors to vet the process, including the retired RCAF commander of the Libya mission, and University of Ottawa professor Philippe Lagassé – not that this is confirmed yet. Lagassé, incidentally, also wrote an op-ed yesterday that highlights the systemic procurement problems at DND, and concludes that the Canadian Forces won’t be able to fully recapitalise its fleets and assets unless they get a significant budget increase once the deficit is slain. John Geddes notes that a panel is one thing, but the hard work of what plane to get is quite another. Andrew Coyne says that the entire debacle has proved to be a failure for democratic accountability, as every mechanism we have to ensure it has been evaded, subverted or ignored.

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QP: Dancing around disability questions

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It was nearly a full House, which is rare for a Monday, but as is also the norm for a Monday, Harper was absent. Nevertheless, Thomas Mulcair got the ball rolling by reading a about the government missing its economic targets, to which John Baird, the designated back-up PM du jour, first congratulated the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their happy news before he moved onto approved Economic Action Plan™ talking points. When Mulcair pressed on about job numbers and temporary foreign workers, Baird kept on with the Action Plan™. Peter Julian was up next to denounce the supposed fire sale of Canadian resources to China, to which Christian Paradis assured him that they will ensure investments provide a net benefit to Canada. Bob Rae was up then for the Liberals and asked about the government’s disability tax credit and whether or not it would be made refundable. (It was Persons With Disabilities Day, for the record). Baird danced around the question with feel-good talking points about all kinds of tax credits.

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Roundup: The case of the missing naval documents

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Questions are being raised after Access to Information requests showed that naval intelligence documents were destroyed and then suddenly reappeared after being found in the emails of those serving overseas. Not only would their destruction have been against National Archives laws, but it raises further questions about how intelligence matters are being handled in the post-Delisle era.

Jason Kenney says he doesn’t want to turn any more immigration powers over to the provinces like already exist for Quebec, because he wants immigration to be about nation-building, not just making more Albertans or Nova Scotians rather than new Canadians.

Newly released emails show that during the last election, government officials avoided a meeting with the Parliamentary Budget Officer about the cost of the F-35s, and when his report was released that showed they cost double what the government claimed, they scrambled to undermine his credibility.

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QP: Oh, those awful Liberals

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Dear readers, you know that I normally have a pretty high tolerance for the shenanigans of Question Period on a daily basis. But today, that tolerance was sorely tested. This was nothing to do with decorum, but rather with the complete absence of substance in today’s debate. And as ugly of a day as it was, I nevertheless will give you the recap (and hope that my rage doesn’t boil over yet again while recounting the tale).

It began during Members’ Statements, when the Conservatives, one after another, stood up to denounce the Liberals because David McGuinty, in his frustration after a Natural Resources committee hearing, said that if the Conservatives were going to act provincially when it comes to resource development then they should run for municipal council or the provincial legislature. Apparently this was what the Conservatives needed to re-open the psychic wounds of the National Energy Programme (which they already conflate with other global market forces, but that’s another story) and woe be to the Liberal arrogance that has kept them from getting a seat in Western Canada lo these many years. They would all crowd around whichever Alberta MP was speaking, and fill the frame – even Blake Richards, who sits in the nosebleeds, they nevertheless got more Alberta MPs to crowd around behind him to fill the frame. Solidarity, and all of that. And the NDP? Well, Dan Harris declared that he was going to put “facts” on the table in the face of Conservative distortions about his party’s policies – and then proceeded to lay out the same talking points about corporate taxes that completely distort the way they work. Apparently one distortion deserves another.

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QP: Pursuing peace and human rights

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It was all hands on deck in the Commons today, for the first time in what seems like ages. Even the Bloc leader, Daniel Paillé was present – albeit from his perch in the diplomatic gallery, as he doesn’t actually have a seat. Thomas Mulcair kicked things off by reading off a question about the leaked proposed foreign policy plan, whereby the government would be abandoning their pledge not to sacrifice human rights on the altar of the almighty dollar. Harper stood up and in his usual shrugging manner, said the document wasn’t official policy and that his government always works to pursue peace and human rights. Mulcair went on to talk about the violence happening in the Congo, and the fact that Harper was just there talking about trade in the region. Harper disputed that characterisation, however, by saying that he did meet with opposition groups and expressed his concern over human rights abuses while at the Francophonie Summit in that country. Peggy Nash was up next, and wondered why Harper didn’t want to meet with the premiers when they were going to be discussing the economy. Jim Flaherty took this question, and pointed out that Harper regularly meets with the premiers. Bob Rae was up for the Liberals, and asked if Harper would consider doubling the flow of the gas tax to the municipalities by the next budget, so that they can engage in some long-term planning for infrastructure. Harper pointed out that they are consulting, but it was his government that made the gas tax transfers permanent, before the two of them had some back-and-forth over who can take credit for the gas tax revenues flowing to the cities.

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QP: A near-outbreak of spontaneous debate

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It was a strange kind of place in the Commons this morning – the Chamber was on a Friday schedule so that MPs could head back to their ridings early for Remembrance Day activities, and it was a mostly Friday-vibe in the House, with most front-benchers gone – either mentally or physically – and time distorted into what felt like the longest 45 minutes in history. Despite there being other NDP deputy leaders present, it was Nycole Turmel who was chosen to haltingly read off the lead questions about proposals to privatise certain social services in order to run them like Goldman Sachs – or something like that. (In reality, Diane Finley wants charities and private enterprise to explore “social finance instruments,” not that you could tell from the question Turmel asked.) Kellie Leitch responded with an equally coherent accusation that the NDP want to raise taxes and won’t support the Economic Action Plan™ to create jobs. So really, an edifying start to the day. For her last question, Turmel switched to English and lamented the Service Canada wait times, to which James Moore – apparently the part-time back-up PM du jour – responded that just because they were doing things differently it didn’t mean it was worse, or something that effect. Megan Leslie was up next and denounced this call for ideas as a PR stunt to cover cuts. Leitch responded that they were trying to let local communities tackle local problems. Leslie then switched to ski trails being on the receive end of cuts, but Peter Kent assured her that they were protecting natural spaces, and that they were working with volunteer groups. Bob Rae was then up for the Liberals, demanding to know what caused the government to settle with Ashley Smith’s family in their lawsuit, and what other videos or evidence they had in possession, not only with this case, but with other prison deaths concerning the mentally ill. James Moore repeatedly stood up – despite Toews being in the Chamber – and said that all kinds of information was being provided to the inquiry, but Toews remained in his seat, no matter Rae’s efforts.

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