– When Are We, The People, Going To Pay Attention? Where Is Our Outrage?
A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper
Excuse me for my suggestive language but I am getting sick and frigging tired of how much Stephen Harper and his federal Conservatives and the zombie supporters of this empty suit say they are doing about looking after Canada’s economy – and most importantly, at the ground level for most Canadians, creating decent paying jobs.
Harper, who admitted this past year that he doesn’t have a clue what is going on in his own PMO office when it comes to Senate shenanigan, etc., is this country’s leading executive – even though he runs away from that responsibility when things aren’t going his way – is presiding over more devastating job loses, and a lack of job opportunities for our young people.
At the same time, we are watching the Canadian dollar continue to fall against the American currency which is a sure sign that foreign investors have reduced their faith in Canada as a place t invest and do business.Having said that, it is more than a little interesting that Ontario’s Conservative opposition party, oiled up by its leader Tim Hudak, seems so eager to place all the blame for the latest jobless report on the Ontario Liberals rather than bestow any of it on his Tory friends in Ottawa, including ones he once served with in the Ontario Mike Harris cabinet. The Ontario NDP also seems to want to dump on the Ontario Liberals, not to say that the Ontario Liberals do not have to wear some of the blame for these latest jobless figures? But why isn’t the Ontario NDP also blasting the Tory Harper government in Ottawa for these latest jobless figures and loss in an opportunity for a more prosperous future for the 99 per cent?
Could it be that there is a provincial election in the wind this year in Ontario and, for the opposition, it is all about placing most, if not all the loss of jobs on the provincial government rather than federal government policies around the continued support for corporations outsourcing jobs,etc.
Whatever, and too bad for any other party that does not wish to respond, Niagara At Large is now posting two media releases by the Ontario NDPs and Tories, slamming the Liberals on the latest jobless report for the country. NAL would have included a post from the Liberals on this report but the party did not issue one by press time.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 10, 2014
LIBERALS AND NDP DRIVE 39,000 JOBS OUT OF ONTARIO IN DECEMBER
QUEEN’S PARK – “Ontario can be a place where people are working and businesses are creating jobs. But it won’t happen with the McGuintyis -Wynne Liberals and NDP at the helm,” said Burlington MPP Jane McKenna, the Ontario PC Economic Development, Trade and Employment Critic.
McKenna’s comments follow the news that Ontario’s unemployment rate has risen yet again to 7.9 per cent, while noting that December marks the 84th consecutive month or seven years that Ontario’s unemployment rate sits well above the national average (7.2 per cent).
“December should be a joyful month for families as they come together to celebrate the holidays. But for an additional 39,000 Ontario families, they were left wondering how they were going to keep the lights on and afford presents for their children,” said McKenna.
“This is the McGuinty-Wynne Liberals’ legacy. Month after month, companies are choosing to leave the province because they can no longer afford to do business in Ontario. From high hydro rates to the growing deficit, Kathleen Wynne has not given companies the confidence to invest in Ontario.”
“We do not have to settle for the job losses and a rising unemployment rate that Ontario has grown accustomed too. Ontario can do better. A PC government will lower taxes, make energy rates more affordable and reduce the red-tape burden that keeps companies from hiring our hard-working men and women,” concluded McKenna. “It’s time to get Ontario back on the right track and change the team that leads this province.”Niagara-area job numbers hammer home Liberal failures: NDP
WELLAND, Ontario – Welland MPP Cindy Forster says the job numbers for December 2013, released this morning, offer more proof that the Liberal government is failing families in Niagara and across Ontario.
“Everyone in Ontario seems to know how bad it’s gotten, except Premier Wynne,” said Forster. “Job losses and plant closures are in the headlines almost every day yet the Liberals insisted that everything was on the upswing. These numbers confirm what everyone already knew – the status quo isn’t working, and something needs to change.”
The Niagara region unemployment rate outpaces much of the province, rising to 8.8 per cent in December. The Ontario unemployment rate pushed up to 7.9 per cent. Of nearly 46,000 jobs lost across the country, 39,000 were lost in Ontario
“Niagara households are falling behind. They’re worried about jobs and paychecks that don’t keep up with the cost of living,” said Forster.
“Instead of no-strings-attached tax giveaways, Ontario should be looking at new ideas that help small business and companies that hire, train and invest in Ontario.”
The Canadian unemployment rate rose from 6.8% to 7.2% in the same time period.
“The Wynne government’s approach isn’t working for families,” said Forster. “It’s time for a plan that rewards employers that create good jobs in Ontario instead of handing money to companies that ship jobs away.”
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
St.Catharines is the worst in the entire being number in unable to find jobs with a ratio of 99 per one job followed by Ktchener, Cape Breton island believe it or not, Oshawa and Windsor.
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All the above misses the root cause of our problems – the cost of energy.
All that government bandaid redistribution efforts will achieve is a redistribution of misery.
We have allowed the price of energy in Canada and in particular Ontario, to skyrocket beyond sustainability.
Ontario squandered the legacy of Sir Adam Beck and the lowest cost electricity (and by the way, greenest) in North America to systemically the most expensive, surpassing California. Even New York’s electricity costs are roughly half that of Ontario.
This and not labour costs, free trade or the effect of petroleum on our currency is the root cause of our joblessness. As long as we keep chasing job creators away with capricious programs spurred by dubious agendas, nothing will change. The rest of the world will eat our lunch.
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Unfortunately, the “job creators”, which have been largely subsidized by the jobless, have outsourced to places where labour is at slave wages levels. People bitch about welfare but I would love to see a comparison of tax grants & subsidies to corporations vs those to the poor. Maybe if CEO’s, whose pay increases have gone up 400% since the 80’s vs stagnation for many working stiffs, stopped skimming the cream, they could put some of THAT surplus into energy costs & wages.
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Harper & Hudak are following the US Republican example of union busting, outsourcing, low corporate taxes, “right to work” agenda, corporate bailouts & increasing gap between the rich & poor. Hudak’s grandfather, who was a labour advocate, would be spinning in his grave. Wake up folks!
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Mr. Wojnarowski,
Energy prices are a part of the puzzle, but Ottawa and Toronto lag Regina, Calgary and Edmonton in price per kWh for residential customers according to the 2013 Quebec Hydro report used by many as the leading benchmark in electricity pricing in North America. They are also almost double the Quebec number and yet Quebec has similar manufacturing industry woes to Ontario while Regina, Edmonton and Calgary are all boomtowns.
As the scale of consumer demand increases for larger power users Ontario begins to slip from its price location ranking, but larger consumers are also subject to more complicated billing methods and can benefit from participation in Demand response programs to help offset their energy costs. It is tiring to hear the rhetoric about our average (in terms of North America) pricing being this great deterrent to “job creators” when there is a seemingly obvious shift to a global marketplace occurring.
I do not intend to belittle your point, but I might argue that the loosening of Trade laws starting with NAFTA and working up to some pretty scary Trans Pacific stuff coming down the pipe is the biggest cause of the demise of the manufacturing golden era in Ontario. If we had a robust economy with lots of well supported, diverse, and competitive industries the cost of energy would be tertiary, but since instead we have large multinationals that are only see employees as numbers Ontario’s economy will lose out (Caterpillar, Fleet, Heinz, Kellogs, John Deer have all moved key local operations because of labour costs not energy costs).
The politicians are hand-cuffing themselves a little because they only care about winning seats. The real $hitty part is that with the short memory of the electorate and the dying reliability of a diminishing printing press this election will be battled on the fields of the cause du jour (Niagara Hospital, LCBO monopoly, privatization of “corrupt” centralized energy market regulators, insert other tertiary cause here) and all three parties will cow tow to court Federal funds and sign away more protections for small, ethical or local businesses. We live in a changing time, with instant information, and quick gratification, and the politicians that are being bread of this society are a reflection of that.
If we had a balanced society free from virtual corporate monopolies, wealthy lobbies, scattered and rapid fire info-tidbits sprinkled into the moments when we find time to think about the future between our part time jobs maybe we would have time to select leadership that could plan for us. Instead we are always working, hyperconnected, and constantly changing and the government is on autopilot setting a course for the future to parts unknown, and who could stop them? Well, to quote the meme du jour: “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
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Doug, the dollar’s recent decline has a lot more to do with increasing confidence in the US greenback internationally than it does with confidence in the Canadian dollar.
With respect to our unemployment rate, when you bring in 275K immigrants into this country without any consideration to integration costs, health and education support, it’s no wonder it’s a failed policy. But Harper is taking a page out of Trudeaus playbook here because we all know these newcomers will thank the conservatives by voting for them.
I think we all know that the Liberals have wreaked havoc on this province and as Chris correctly mentioned electricity costs have had a huge impact on corporate decisions to move here or even stay here. These draconian measures have also hit personal wallets. Microeconomics 101… the more money you take from the taxpayer, the less they have to spend on essentials not to mention discretionary purchases.
I believe all the UNIONS should be busted considering they have outlived their collective usefulness. Especially in ALL public employee environments.
I believe that ALL public sector employees should have their wages and benefits rolled back. This includes the executive suite as well as frontline workers.
I believe that all infrastructure projects be reviewed for stupidity and waste across the board. I am not saying to not spend the money, but spend it more wisely. WE DON’T NEED COP SHOPS OR TOWN HALLS WITH ATRIUMS, INDOOR WATERFALLS…. WE NEED MORE HOSPITALS NOT TAJ MAHALS!
So Doug, while I am not a fan of Harper et al, I do not think your focus on him as the reason for all things going wrong in Canada is warranted and productive. Yeah I wish someone else was leading this country, but he is not the root of all evil.
And all the while Niagara enjoys a jobless rate of 8.8% our police, fire, health, public services regional employees, city employees enjoy salaries twice the national average. Our police chief makes more than the police chief of New York City…… go figure!
We need politicians that will – Cut the fat….. Spend wisely….. Reduce taxes across the board…. Create an ideal environment for business and invest in educational training so our workforce meets the demand of business!
It’s so simple it is laughable but no one seems to get it!
Just sayin….
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Chris I remember you once approached me in the long gone Zellers and suggested I join you in your journalist endeavors, actually I refused as I really did not know where you were coming from. As years pass I have always been pleased with my decision and recently I truly realize Why? You never seem to criticize in print the vortex of lies and disaster spun by the Federal Conservatives on all the peoples of Canada. We have lost respect through out the world on actions and also lack of actions perpetuated by this government against the very wishes of our own Canadian Peoples as well as other countries who are attempting to save this planet. I am not a Liberal for I watched the despair of my grandfather while growing up, but I did admire, not all, but much of what Pierre Elliot Trudeau did to improve and strengthen Canada’s Image on the world stage (The very stage where Harper vents his narrow minded hatred). Trudeau against Corporate special interests attempted to solidify Canada’a home grown industry and make it less than simple for foreign take over of those home grown industries. The selling out of Canada to foreign Corporations entities is mind boggling during this present government’s reign of terror and I imagine the same Mr. Trudeau is not resting to soundly wherever as this is being perpetuated by the agents of Canada’s demise as a Compassionate, Caring partner in a world where a dictatorial “Creed of Greed and Entitlement” flourishes with not stopping in sight.
This is why I am pleased I did not Join You Chris
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Doug Draper proved just who he is with this liberal propaganda piece. Really Doug? I don’t even know what to say. When I first met you I thought you were legitimate but this piece proves I was wrong. Why don’t you go get a job with the Ontario Liberals.? Then you can practice the Marxism (social justice) you love to peddle to your readers. ….
Doug Draper is a cheerleader for Karl Marx, Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau and he should pack in this website and go work for the people he adores…..
Go get em Doug.
And thank Kathleen Wynne for jacking up my hydro bill 200 percent in the last 10 years. Thanks Doug. Good job holding government accountable.
It’s not the increased cost of doing business in Ontario that is destroying the private sector, it’s Stephen Harper in Ottawa.
Pack in this site Doug, And go work for Wynne.
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