Canadian Blogs.net

Unnoticed and on the sly, Maclean's magazine has turned its entire website, and thus the online version of the printed magazine, into a blog. Before the magazine content would be on the main site, accompanied by blogs. Now, however, the entire site has been turned into a blog, which is also borne out by the fact that the URL macleans.ca is now redirected to blogs.macleans.ca. As a result, even the articles from the printed magazines now appear as full blog posts complete with a comments feature. Is this a cost-cutting measure in these difficult economic times, or could this...

A prime example of chutzpah: Earth to the not-exactly-Big 3 CEOs: When you fly to Washington to beg for an industry bailout, do yourselves a favor and leave the corporate jet at home. ABC News has thrown Rick Wagoner, Alan Mulally and Bob Nardelli directly under the bus, reporting that each exercised costly private jet perks for their joint appearance before Congress instead of setting an example by flying commercial. (h/t Daimnation) Why would anyone bail out these guys? Besides, the auto industry's troubles are structural, not cyclical. This industry's time has come and gone; time to move on,...

This site has frequently decried the state of taxation in Canada – with Canadian households spending 45% of their annual income on taxes alone. In the industrialized world, Canadians are among the most heavily-taxed, and no one, including a so-called "conservative" government in Ottawa, is prepared to do anything about it. In the U.S., by contrast, Americans will benefit greatly from the next president's tax plan, as Barack Obama will reduce taxes for 95% of Americans, with about 48% of Americans ending up paying no tax at all. If this is the kind of "socialist" America that Republicans and...

The auto industry is in serious decline, both in the U.S. and in Canada. The Big Three have been making beelines to Washington and Ottawa asking for financial help. General Motors, in particular, says it won't be around much longer unless government steps in with a generous injection of cash. But the auto industry has been on a steep downward slope for some time now. The current economic crisis is not what triggered it; it is merely delivering the final coup de grâce. People have been listening to the warnings about global warming, pollution and the finite nature of...

Using an Ernst & Young tax calculator, and an annual household income of C$80,000, a family in Alberta would pay a bit over C$20,000 in taxes, with the marginal tax rate at 36%. In Québec, for example, the same family would pay around C$24,000 in taxes with a marginal tax rate of almost 46%. By contrast, an American household making US$80,000 a year would pay a tax of around US$8,000 under Obama's plan – a saving of almost US$1,000 compared to the current system. I have used $80,000 as an example, because at least 80% of Canadians make less...

Have you ever wondered about what's really, really wrong with Canada? One could start a long list of issues and problems, but one fundamental shortcoming is the widespread inability to accept responsibility for one's actions. This failure reaches into all corners of public and private life, from judges who indulge criminals who refuse to be responsible to governments at all levels across the nation. The Calgary City Council, for example, wants to increase property taxes over the next three years by a whopping 22%, while showing no intention whatsoever to cut back on pet projects or the generous pay...

After the recent announcement that the National Post will no longer be available in Manitoba and Saskatchewan comes this "insider tip" that the newspaper's vendor boxes will disappear in Ottawa, the nation's capital: You will no longer be able to buy copies of the National Post out of a vendor box in Ottawa as of Midnight tonight. I've heard this from two sources, one being this anonymous commenter on Bourrie's site, the other an Ottawa area resident (via private e-mail) who helpfully suggests that the boxes be converted to ice-cream machines. Today, the Calgary Herald announced a "merger", effective...

Bad news for people in Saskatchewan and Manitoba: The Winnipeg Free Press has returned to doorsteps and newspaper boxes after a 16-day strike ended earlier this week, but the National Post won't be showing up alongside it. The Post is printed by the Free Press for circulation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but the national paper's owner, Winnipeg's David Asper, has decided to cut the paper's availability in the two provinces. Home delivery is being eliminated, as are print editions of the paper on weekdays. The printed version of the paper will only be available in stores on Saturdays in...

by Werner Patels Voters are usually all over the map, from the far right to the radical left. But in Canada, the vast majority of people seem to agree on one thing: they want a fiscally conservative government. Ever since the dark ages of deficits and rising national debt, courtesy of big-spender Pierre Trudeau, Canadians have been averse to anything that has so much as the appearance of a deficit. It is against this popular front against dipping into the red that several economists have recently spoken up publicly in favour of "occasional" deficits. In economically difficult times, such...

Canadian expats living in Hong Kong pay only 16% in income taxes. True, living expenses are much higher than in Canada, but life in Canada, particularly in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, is expensive enough that a substantial cut to personal income taxes would be warranted: "Anything that might bring someone under the Canadian tax system while living in Hong Kong would be devastating [and] would likely force a family here into bankruptcy" said a Canadian. Hong Kong residents pay only about 16% in income taxes, but rent for a modest apartment can be several times higher than in any...

In these economically uncertain times, more than ever, the world needs no-nonsense leaders – "Vulcans" – who can take hard decisions and do whatever is necessary even if it isn't popular. British prime minister Gordon Brown has become the world's "superhero" after he came up with a plan to bail out banks and the global financial system. Often described as morose, dour, standoffish, cold and emotionless – the same attributes ascribed to re-elected Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper – Brown is teaching everyone a good lesson about the qualities political leaders must have: Two weeks ago, the best thing...

Ever since Don Martin relocated to Ottawa to cover federal politics, I have noticed how his sense of humour, style of writing and general outlook have deteriorated. In addition, he has blown up like a balloon (must be all those fancy galas thrown by Liberals) since moving to the nation's capital. I have suspected him of having been Otta-washed and turned into a Li(e)beral, but now we have proof. Only an utterly biased fool could possibly defend Stéphane Dion's embarrassing CTV interview. As one blogger notes: Excuse me? The comprehension problems of a leader of a political party is...

by Werner Patels Talk about something long enough, and it may just happen. Wish for something, and the universe may just listen and grant you your wish. Some would call it the underlying principle of The Secret; to others, it is merely a self-fulfilling prophecy. In some ways this is how special-interest groups operate in order to drive public debate on their pet issues. They keep shining the spotlight on an issue in the hope of influencing people's behaviour or attitudes. This, for example, is how wearing real fur has come to be considered gauche, and the global warming...

One of NDP leader Jack Layton's recurring themes in this election campaign has been Stephen Harper's "$50-billion giveaway in corporate tax cuts". If there's anything we have learned, it's "It's the economy, stupid". But equally important is: "Keep it simple, stupid." When Layton speaks of cancelling the corporate tax cuts, Harper immediately counters that it would be insane to saddle companies with an extra $50 billion in the current economic climate. Maybe this take is overly simplistic, but I doubt that the reversal of the cuts would result in companies being slammed with $50 billion. Here's why: No matter...

The ill-fated and silly bailout plan has been rejected: The House today rejected a $700-billion Wall Street bailout that would have been the biggest government intervention in the financial system since the Great Depression, sending the stock market into a sharp downturn and leaving President Bush's plan to bailout the economy in doubt. The vote was 205 in favor of the measure and 228 against. So much for John McCain saving the world – some mothers really do have...

I have been watching Bill Moyers on PBS regularly now for a few weeks, and I think his program is one of the finest in American journalism and punditry. On his most recent show, he had the New York Times' Gretchen Morgenson on his panel, and she spoke about the "privatized profits and socialized losses" in this current Wall Street crisis – the big managers have made off with bags of money, while the taxpayer is stuck with the losses left behind. Unfortunately, this is a perfect description of the situation, and all the more reason for U.S. taxpayers...

Out of sight, out of mind – at least that's what Stéphane Dion's plan seems to be. He's moved away from his failed Green Shift plan, the only plank in his platform, and tries not to talk about it anymore. Stephen Harper countered, correctly, that Dion's Green Shift is now Dion's "hidden agenda", which wouldn't go away if people actually voted the Liberals into power. Dion, who according to his own wife can't even balance a chequebook, was clearly not the right person to design a complicated tax plan. After weeks and weeks of trying, he has failed to...

by Werner Patels The United States is drowning in its own thick and murky alphabet soup: CDOs, ABCP, CDS ... LGBGWBUO – okay, I made up the last one, Let's Gamble Because Government Will Bail Us Out. Despite my creative licence, it is the latter that explains a good chunk of the financial crisis that threatens to make America look as silly as lira-era Italy and Zimbabwe. The financial whizzes of Wall Street have spent the last few years chasing the almighty greenback, taking ever greater risks, while failing to understand the true implications behind collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed...

The other day I watched the Canada Votes: Your Turn special on CBC that saw NDP leader Jack Layton field questions from viewers. One of the first few questions really stumped the NDP leader. The viewer pointed out the hypocrisy and unfair treatment of Western Canada when he asked why Layton would call for an end to oilsands development and thus cause a major spike in unemployment, but fail to do the same with the companies in Ontario that are responsible for even more pollution, the auto makers. The viewer said that those jobs are considered sacrosanct, while those...

It seems, from various reports, that the National Post's Full Comment Blog has taken to limiting readers' freedom of speech. Apparently some long-time users can no longer post comments. When they post a comment, they are taken to a strange search results page, and their comments never show up on the site. From reports received, it would appear that readers/commenters who have voiced concerns about or been critical of the Conservatives, Harper, Sarah Palin, John McCain, etc. are now blocked from commenting. Since the newspaper will probably be gone and belly-up by the end of the year, I find...