Remembrance Week: Mid-Week Post

Your mid-week moment of reflection ... 




Death by a thousand cuts:

For several days now, Kenney and the UCP government have been dropping hints like clanging manhole covers.

And public interest appears to be very high in the prospect of Pexit.

Herald contributor Rob Breakenridge fostered much of the curiosity Tuesday with a thoughtful column on why an Alberta Pension Plan is worth considering.

On Oct. 29, Kenney talked frankly about leaving the Canada Pension Plan and forming an Alberta equivalent, in a Facebook video question and answer session. (The subject starts at 40:45 of the recording.)

“I can certainly tell you that will be one of the issues studied by the panel that I will be appointing to consult with Albertans on fighting for a fair deal in Canada,” Kenney says in the video.

“I believe that a compelling case can be made for such a shift. We want to listen to Albertans on this first, but let me just say that with the youngest population in Canada, we are by far the largest net contributors to the CPP.

“The federal government, against our government’s wishes, is imposing higher CPP payroll taxes which will decrease economic growth and kill jobs, even though with this young Alberta population we do not need and cannot justify our premiums.”

He didn’t note — at least, not this time — that if Alberta quits the national plan, payments from other Canadians would apparently have to rise about 10 per cent to protect benefits.

That number will catch Ottawa’s attention.

 
It's time to bleed the east.


(Merci)


Also - Wexit will derail that valuable gravy train that somehow causes "food insecurity" (apparently, that's a thing):

Treaty 8 First Nations chiefs issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling for cooler heads to prevail amid indications the desire to separate from Canada is growing among people in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“As chiefs, with our united voices and on behalf of our 22 member nations — with clear conscience — declare we are strongly opposed to the idea of separation from Canada,” the chiefs said in a news release.

The statement came as new Ipsos polling data suggests a growing support for secession in the Prairies’ two westernmost provinces and as a group calling itself Wexit Canada is in the process of applying to Elections Canada to become a federal political party.

It's just an economy:

Houston Oil & Gas, a Calgary-based Alberta oil & gas company, has shut down.

The company has fully stopped operating, and has no employees.

The company had operated 1,264 wells and 251 pipelines.

**

Democrats are not looking to reopen the CUSMA trade deal and believe they are “very close” to being able to ratify it, says top Democrat Richard Neal.

(Sidebar: this deal.)

**

(Gracias)




If he had any scruples, he would resign. Now, the Tories, as quick as any to ingratiate themselves to Canada's hundreds of tribes, won't let him:

Andrew Scheer emerged from a marathon caucus meeting Wednesday, declaring that Conservative MPs are united behind his leadership after they declined to give themselves the power to boot the leader out.

Scheer’s leadership will still, however, face a test of confidence among party members at their biannual convention in April in Toronto. He said he believed that’s where the power to potentially oust him should lie.

Yes, Canada. Do as you're told:

China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged Canada’s re-elected Liberal Party government to immediately release detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

This China:

According to BNN Bloomberg, “Chinese state-owned entities are in talks about investing a combined US$5 billion to US$10 billion in Aramco’s initial public offering, as Saudi Arabia seeks commitments from friendly governments to shore up the record share sale, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The Beijing-based Silk Road Fund is among parties that have been in discussions to buy stock in the offering, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Some other Chinese funds or state-owned enterprises may also join, the people said.

Canada has no justice system. Only a legal one:

Uxbridge mother Susanne Brito, 48, was critically injured in a boating accident on Lake Joseph on Saturday, August 24, 2019, and later died in hospital on Monday, August 26, 2019 as a result of her injuries.

They are seeking damages for wrongful death and the civil suit includes a claim for punitive, exemplary and aggravated damages against the Defendants. The Statement of Claim consists of various allegations which will allow the family to pursue civil justice, continue their investigation, and bring accountability to those responsible for the crash.

Congratulations! It's a thing!:

The Manitoba government has been ordered to start offering non-binary sex designations on its birth certificates.

A human rights adjudicator has also ordered the province to pay $50,000 to a transgender individual who wanted the sex designation on their birth certificate replaced with an "X" and was denied.

The complainant, who is identified as T.A. because of a publication ban, filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission after the request was turned down in 2014.

Manitoba's Vital Statistics Agency said all birth certificates have two options — male or female — under provincial law and no other option is allowed.

The independent adjudicator who heard the case ruled that the government's position is discriminatory and there is nothing under the law that would prevent a third designation from being offered.

Scratch a leftist and find a bigot. Every. Single. Time:

In a newly released clip taken during the protests outside of Saturday’s GIDYVR debate featuring Jon Kay, Meghan Murphy, and myself, professional anti-bigotry activist Amanda Jabbour is seen racially abusing an interracial couple.

And now, a music selection from a country often late to the party but whose contributions are still worth while: