Last posts on canada

Cap d'Antibes #2 (French Riviera)

2009-09-24T02:57:59+02:00

"Ho preso un batedo d'acqua!"

2009-09-24T02:56:57+02:00

Canada - Immigration consultancy

2007-05-25T13:12:50+02:00

Canada is looking for successful and educated immigrants to take advantage of its multicultural workforce. Be part of the worlds best destination, Agency opportunities exist in many eastern and middle eastern countries. If you are running a consultancy business or provide IELTS or language training, here is a golden opportunity never to pass. Visit www.polarim.com/agencyindex.htm and fill in your details and one of our consultants will evaluate your business to identify a right fit for a fruitful partnership. We do not charge any agency fees or deposits, We are looking for the right individual who can represent us.

Canada Immigration

2007-05-25T12:37:01+02:00

Immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident for yourself and your family. Great opportunity in the worlds best destination. Visit www.polarim.com and check your chances! Free Assessment!

Lyrics for ”One Great City!” (I Hate Winnipeg) by The Weakerthans

2005-10-21T20:50:00+02:00

"One Great City!," by The Weakerthans, Reconstruction Site, 26 August 2003, http://www.theweakerthans.org/lyrics/reconstructionsite/11onegreatcity.html [buy the cd].Mad props to M for burning this on a mix CD.

Late afternoon, another day is nearly doneA darker grey is breaking through a lighter oneA thousand sharpened elbows in the undergroundThat hollow hurried sound of feet on polished floorAnd in the dollar store, the clerk is closing upAnd counting loonies trying not to sayI hate WinnipegThe driver checks the mirror seven minutes lateThe crowded riders' restlessness enunciatesThe Guess Who sucked, the Jets were lousy anywayThe same route everydayAnd in the turning laneSomeone’s stalled againHe’s talking to himselfAnd hears the price of gas repeat his phraseI hate WinnipegAnd up above us allLeaning into skyOur golden business boyWill watch the North End dieAnd sing, “I love this town”Then let his arcing wrecking ball proclaimIHateWinnipeg

Update: Because of spam, I have ended trackbacks for this post :-(.

Competitive Liberalization of People Movement

2005-05-04T02:10:00+02:00

"Microsoft Wants No Limit On Hiring Foreigners," Associated Press, 27 April 2005, http://www.thekcrachannel.com/technology/4423402/detail.html (from Democratic Underground)."Canada is wooing Mexican immigrants," by Chris Hawley, Arizona Republic, 3 May 2005, http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0503canada03.html.While Microsoft founder Bill Gates is asking for more open immigration rules in the United States

Bill Gates is urging an end to federal limits on foreign engineers who can be hired by U.S. companies.In some rare personal lobbying of the Bush administration and Congress, the Microsoft mogul said it doesn't make sense to put limits on the number of "smart people" who can come into the country.Currently, no more than 65,000 overseas engineers, scientists, architects and doctors are allowed to take such jobs in the U.S.U.S. labor groups and out-of-work computer engineers argue otherwise, but Gates and other technology executives say they need a larger labor pool.It's a sensitive issue with Americans watching jobs moving overseas.

Canada is already doing just that

Canada's Immigration Policies Hasten the Harmonizatoin of North America

As the United States fortifies its border with Mexico, Canadian companies are reaching out to immigrants who are frustrated by U.S. restrictions and tempted by dreams of a better life in Canada.The Canadian government has been relaxing its immigration rules in an effort to attract students and skilled workers from all over the world. That, and the push by companies promising jobs and visas, is attracting Mexican professionals turned off by the Minuteman Project, new border walls, tougher U.S. entry requirements and laws like Proposition 200 in Arizona."Live in Canada!" says a Mexico City newspaper ad placed by a Canadian labor recruiter, as a photo of the Toronto skyline beckons. "Voted the No. 1 country in the world for living four years in a row," an immigration counseling company boasts on its Web site.advertisement "Canada has its arms open to immigrants, and the United States has its arms closed. It's as simple as that," accountant Marcos Ramírez Posadas said as he stood in line with other visa applicants outside the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City.

I like competitive liberalization. While Canada's unilateral policies often cause trouble, I hope the US and Canada compete to attract foreign workers. Gates' words are signs that similar openness may soon be coming to the United States.My only criticism of these immigration plans such as H1-B is that they rarely provide a pathway to citizenship. My friends at USD's CompSci program have a lot of hassles to go through because of American immigration rules, and they are not guaranteed citizenship at the end of their work. This is wrong. My friends Ilknur, Preaad, Tenuun, Ramana, Shujin, Xingming, &c work hard in America. My friends should be able to become Americans.Post Script: A DU poster notes the "coincidence" of Gates' personal lobbying and this. Hmmm...

Asian Geopolitical Review

2005-05-03T05:40:00+02:00

Korean Appeasement, Chinese Energy, Taiwanese Politics, Nepalese Democracy, Canadian Demographics, and more!Korea: Josh at OFK notes the ruling ~~Appeasement~~ Uri Party lost big in the bi-elections. But as the government could not have changed, was it just a protest vote?Curzon at CA argues we should nuke Pyongyang. That might make their South Korean allies angry.Maybe it would be better just to tell other countries we are mad at the Norks? That's the Japanese plan.China: Danwei has more of the Nationalist Party of China-Chinese Communist Party meeting. Meanwhile, China snags a pipeline from Russia, meaning Beijing gets oil before Tokyo. Not quite as geogreen as earlier Chinese energy decisions, but sprining from the same needs. Maybe Peking's new Russophiles should read the new blog that Zen Pundit discovered today?Taiwan: On my computer, the website for the pro-Taiwan Independence Democratic Progressive Party says "Democratic Progressive Party"... in English. Geolocation? Or do the Taiwanese just like the look of our words? They certainly don't like the look of pro-Chinese politicians. In "one-country two-systems" news, the Communists ~~deny~~ delay direct elections for Hong Kong yet again.Nepal: Bill at Dawn's Early Light seems more good news from Nepal. Things in the mountain kingdom have been looking up.Canada (?!?): Will British Columbia's Asian population make it closer to Seoul and Beijing than Ottawa?Blogosphere: Simon has new Daily Linklets.

Ridge: One North America Soon

2005-04-23T23:45:00+02:00

"Closer ties between U.S., Canada inevitable: Ridge," by Michael Den Tandt, Globe and Mail 23 April 2005, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050422.wunion23/BNStory/International (from Democratic Underground).Former moderate Governor of Pennsylvania and congenial Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is talking up North American integration

Canada and the United States will inevitably move toward closer economic integration, including a customs union, in response to the formation of major trading blocks around the world, former U.S. secretary of homeland security Tom Ridge said yesterday....On further economic integration — a hot-button issue for Canadian nationalists, who view it as a step toward political integration — "The integration of the European Union, the growth of China and Asia, the emergence of a strong India on the international scene, as well as other regional economic collaboration — if we're going to stay competitive in this part of the world, we're going to have to do some of those things."North American competitiveness will require common standards and common goals, Mr. Ridge said, echoing a sentiment business leaders on both sides of the border have voiced.

This is great news. Besides minor benefits like helping the Global War on Terrorism, uniting North America is a great step forward.It increases all manner of content flows and connectivity between North Americans. It allows North American businesses greater economies of scale, and North American citizens more choices and options. It gives North America a stronger voice on the world stage.Tom Ridge is announcing a new American foreign policy: make North America domestic policy. North America is composed of three great, continent-straddling states. We should be one free and secure union.

Post-Adscam Poll Predicts Collapse for Canadian Liberals

2005-04-12T04:50:00+02:00

"'Breathtaking' poll sees defeat for Canada Liberals," by Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren, Reuters, 11 April 2005, http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-04-11T160006Z_01_ZWE149861_RTRUKOC_0_CANADA-POLITICS.xml (from Democratic Underground).Adscam, Canada's Watergate, may collapse the left-of-center Liberal Party

Canada's minority Liberal government is heading for defeat at the hands of the Conservatives after more than 11 years in power, a dramatic new poll is predicting.The EKOS poll, commissioned by the Toronto Star, was taken after an advertising executive raised the stakes in a scandal about misuse of government cash by testifying he had paid large kickbacks to the Liberals in French-speaking Quebec.The poll published on Monday showed support for the Conservatives rose seven points to 36.2 percent while the Liberals fell by nine points to just 25 percent.But both parties played down the chances of a snap election, saying they felt Canadians wanted to hear more information from a public inquiry into the scandal.It was the lowest showing for the Liberals since they took office in 1993. Public support for the party dipped as low as 29 percent before last June's election, but the party recovered to poll 36.7 percent on election day.

Visually

Poll Results on the Inside, Current Seats on the Outside

This is great news. Because Canada is a parliamentary democracy, elections can happen at any time.... And the decision of whether to do so falls to the Frech!

The opposition's first chance to try to bring down Martin's government will come on Thursday, when the separatist Bloc Quebecois can introduce a motion of no-confidence. The Bloc will decide late on Tuesday whether to go ahead with this.

The Liberal government should go. Canada has not joined America in Iraq, Canada has withdrawn from the continental missile shield, and Canada refuses to harmonize immigration controls.Let the Canadians vote!

Wrong Way on North American Integration

2005-04-06T21:55:00+02:00

"U.S. Will Demand Passports from Canadians, CBC News, 5 April 2005, http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/05/passports050405.html (from Democratic Underground ).Sad news in the quest for One North American

In response to a new rule requiring most Canadians to carry passports for entry into the U.S., Public Security Minister Anne McLellan said Americans may also have to carry the document to enter Canada."Our system has really always worked on the basis of reciprocity," McLellan said outside the House of Commons."And therefore we will review our requirements for American citizens and we're going to do that in collaboration with the United States.

Exactly wrong. The reason Canadian passports will be needed is that the Canada's very loose immigration rules. While the United States has beefed up security since the 9/11 attacks, the Canadians have not. This is despite the fact that several known terrorists, including the would-be Millennium Bomber, resided in Canada.Canada should fully harmonize its immigration rules with the United States and Mexico. There should be one North American frontier. North American citizens should be able to freely move between their states and provinces, secured by common border policies.Canada's policies only promote division and do nothing to bring us into the future together.

Canadian Hypocracy in Censoring Blogs in Adscam

2005-04-05T15:30:00+02:00

"Gomery Testimony Available to All Canadians," Globe and Mail, 4 April 2005, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050404.wgomery-blog05/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=wgomery-blog05 (from Captain's Quarters)."Feds bid to plug Gomery leaks," by Stephanie Rubec, Toranto Star, 5 April 2005, http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2005/04/05/983036-sun.html (from Max's Mewsings).I heard about Adscam, finally figured it out, and now am astounded again. Canada is pondering criminal sanctions against bloggers who publish public information Bloggers may be fined or go to jail for reporting news that was already on television.Once more, possible criminal penalties

Canada's attorney general is probing possible breaches of a publication ban set up to protect explosive testimony at the AdScam inquiry. Justice spokesman Patrick Charette said federal lawyers are looking into the Internet sites reproducing excerpts of Montreal ad exec Jean Brault's testimony and providing a link to a U.S. blog featuring more extensive coverage of the hearing."We have to decide what the best course of action is," Charette said, adding federal lawyers could charge Canadian bloggers and website owners with contempt of court or suggest AdScam Justice John Gomery issue warning letters.

For testimony from public hearings

His contact could be anyone as the commission hearings are open to the public. Indeed, the Brault testimony is an open secret in political Ottawa. Ask any political staffer or MP and they seem to know some, if not all, of the details of the testimony. The television feed from the commission can be picked up in some Ottawa newsrooms, and other information is being passed through e-mails, transcripts and phone calls.

But suddenly, it becomes obvious...

Political leaders are being kept abreast of the story, with the exception of Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe who asked his staff not to tell him anything for fear he will divulge information and run afoul of the ban.

Canadian political leaders can read about public hearings. But regular Canadians can't. Welcome to freedom in the Great White North.

Gomery, Groupaction, and Adscam Summary for American Readers

2005-04-05T05:20:00+02:00

"Sponsorship scandal," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Canada_sponsorship_scandal."Spotlight Falls on Groupaction," by Tu Thanh Ha, Globe and Mail, 28 March 2005.Finally, I know what the heck is going on. "Canada's Watergate is unfolding, apparently, the blogs are charging, and it seems to be a public work scandal. Can't the Great White North have a real scandal? You know, like accidentally invading an oil-rich despotism or familiar relations with an intern or something?

If Paul Martin isn't Canada's Nixon....Then Why is the Globe and Mail story written by Tu Thanh Ha?!?

Anyway, the story out: The Liberals are Canada's Democrats, but crazier. Ever since the Conservative (Canadian Republican) and Quebecois (Canadian French) alliance fell apart in the early '90s, the Liberals have been runnign the show.

Tu Thanh Ha (Presumably, the Aforementioned Reporter)Not Actually Implicated in Scandal, but Quite Attractive

Mid-90s, the Canadian French realize they don't like living in America, Jr. and try to leave. They lose the freedom election very, very narrowly. The Liberal Canadian government decides what the Quebecquackers need is propoganda, and begin a massive PR campaign to convince the French they really like living in a former British colony.

Canadian Frechman,Not Being Subject to Criminally Ineffective Propaganda

A lot of this PR money is sent to a company called Groupaction. In a series of murky deals, a lot less money goes out than comes in. A lot of money is spent on farm shows and other worthless campaigns.Turns out, Groupaction was getting away with it by sending money back to the Liberal Party in illegal ~~bribes~~ ~~kickbacks~~ side-payments. And maybe to the mob. Because of the fact it involves advertising scams, it's called adscam. Get it? Ad-Scam. Har har.To make it more fun, no one won the last election. The Conservative Party, Liberal Party, and Bloc Quebecois (Angry Frenchman Party) split the Parliament, with no one winning a majority. As the first-loser Liberals apparently are all crooks, this may hurt them.The sad part is that this shouldn't be happening. Quebec has no business being in Canada. British Columbia has no business being in Canada. The Domion is an artificial state created by the business to contain America. The sooner it falls apart, the better to Canadians, North America, and the World.

One North America Against Mad Cow

2005-03-30T23:15:00+02:00

"Canada, U.S. and Mexico agree to import standards related to mad cow," Canadian Press, 30 March 2005, http://www.canada.com/news/national/story.html?id=d1aaf8ef-ca9e-4cf4-ac5f-87b5820abe1d (from Democratic Underground).The economies of South Dakota and North America are helped by this bit of integration

Canada, the United States and Mexico have agreed to a single North American import standard related to mad cow disease, Federal Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell said Tuesday.The standard, negotiated at a recent meeting in Mexico City, reflects guidelines laid out by the World Organization for Animal Health. It says that, as long as the materials most likely to cause mad cow disease are being removed from the animal at slaughter, and as long as animals are not being imported from herds where the disease has been found, then it should be safe for animals to move across borders."It's a very important agreement between the three countries," Mitchell said."You can trade cattle between countries so long as you take certain steps and we are please that we have all three countries on side."

Another good part of the agreement is that it keeps up momentum for further harmonization. The almost insignificant opening up of Mexico to Canadian cattle is important because it gets both Mexicans and Canadians thinking more in North American terms.

With the new standard, Mexico has indicated that it will begin a regulatory process that will eventually lead to the opening of its border to live Canadian cattle. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency estimates that will begin within three or four months.

Not that sort of Mad Cow

And the South Dakota angle. They won't be keeping our cows out any longer. Hurrah for Sodak farmers!

Canada will also re-open its borders to American cattle. Mitchell said that will take effect Thursday."It certainly indicates that Canada believes in the scientific approach," Mitchell said.

Canadians from Ontario and Quebec Attack Freedom of Religious Contract

2005-03-12T02:55:00+01:00

Some Canadians oppose their nation's heroic defense of the freedom of contract. DU provides a summary and Lynda Hurst's original column from May

The government has no intention of stopping it.Muslims can't be excluded from Ontario's 1991 Arbitration Act, which allows religious groups to resolve family disputes, says the attorney-general's office. Hassidic Jews have been running their own Beit Din arbitrations based on Jewish law for years. Catholics, too, even Ismaili Muslims. Rulings are binding, but must be consistent with Canadian laws and the Charter of Rights."There are safeguards built into the act," says Brendan Crawley, the attorney-general's spokesperson, who has been fielding calls from the world's press on the unprecedented decision."Participation must be voluntary by both parties and there is recourse if a decision doesn't abide by Canadian law. They can appeal to the courts."Arjomand has heard all this and doesn't buy a word of it.Now head of the new International Campaign To Stop Sharia Courts in Canada, she and representatives from several concerned groups met last month with senior staff at the attorney-general's office and with Sandra Pupatello, the minister responsible for women's issues.Arjomand told them flatly that under the guise of protecting religious freedom and multiculturalism — the fear, perhaps, of offending the Muslim community's male leadership — they were about to let the rights of Canadian Muslim women be trampled on.Most at risk are young immigrants, said Arjomand, who come from the Middle East or North Africa, where sharia is the law and has been used to subjugate them their entire lives. They know nothing different.Now that sharia tribunals are to operate here, she says, many women will be socially and psychologically coerced into participating. To refuse would mean rejection by their families and the community — or worse.

Yup. The ICSSCC is calling for stripping Muslim women of rights because they may use those rights wrongly.A DU poster sums up this anti-freedom attitude

Basically it's to be used in community and family law issues and it's suppsosed to be voluntary and abide by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.Personally I think it's bullshit and shouldn't be allowed. People are fighting this tooth and nail.Good for Quebec!

Perfectly sensible, if you believe half of all Muslims are perpetual minors who can never form consent.

Hurrah for Canada

2004-12-20T21:55:00+01:00

"Report says Ont. Muslims have right to use religious law in family disputes," by Keith Leslie, Macleans, http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n122045A, 20 December 2004.Three words I thought I'd never say: Hurrah for Canada.

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario Muslims should have the same rights as Catholics and Jews in the province to seek arbitration based on religious laws for family disputes and inheritance cases, concludes a report by former attorney general Marion Boyd...."We're talking about arbitration based on certain religious principles . . .similar to our Charter values of equality, freedom and justice," she told reporters at a news conference.

Land of cold. Land of freedom of contract. Land of freedom of faith.If I'm reading the law right, it's nothing beyond what the U.S. already has in different form. But it's a great step forward for our neighbors to the north.