Daily Digest May 9, 2017.

The DAILY DIGEST: INFORMATION and OPINION
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HEADLINES ACROSS CANADA <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

CBCBritish Columbia Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Manitoba Thunder Bay Sudbury Windsor Kitchener-Waterloo Hamilton Toronto Ottawa Montreal New Brunswick  Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia  Newfoundland & Labrador

North CTV Atlantic  CTV Montreal  CTV Ottawa  CTV Toronto CTV Northern Ontario CTV Kitchener CTV Winnipeg CTV Regina CTVSaskatoon CTV Calgary CTV Edmonton CTV British Columbia

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NATIONAL NEWSWATCH<<<<<<<< http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Trump fires FBI director James Comey

Disgraced Senator Don Meredith to resign
        Liberals spent more than $16,000 on Snapchat filters since coming to power
Conservatives question government purchase of two-dimensional Trudeau replicas
        U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA is back on table: Wilbur Ross

Sajjan furor masks big questions, concerns about Afghanistan�s future
        Liberals kill Conservatives� non-confidence motion against Sajjan
No Iran polling stations in Canada for upcoming election: Feds
        Anyone taking bets on Sajjan�s job prospects?
Good Politics is Essential To Who We Are As Canadians

Pollster predicts minority government as B.C. Election Day arrives, contenders in dead heat
        Dear Process Nerd: When is it a good time to freak out about time allocation?
Globalism and Nationalism in Canada
        What�s causing the latest delay in kick-starting NAFTA? Trump�s own party
�We pull together�: Federal government to pick up costs to deploy military to flood zones
        White House advisors called Ottawa to urge Trudeau to help talk Trump down from scrapping NAFTA
Senator Don Meredith Timeline: Senate HR Learned Of Workplace Issues In 2013
        Nenshi challenges choice of Toronto as home to federal infrastructure bank
Universities say they accept new rules to boost diversity of research chair candidates
        N.S. premier�s communications director steps down over 2014 assault charge

What Maxime Bernier�s Canada would look like
        Liberals 42, Conservatives 29, NDP 19, Green 4 � Nanos
Major Bombardier shareholder votes against compensation plan, withdraws support for chairman
        Preston Manning Says Trudeau Could Stimulate Populism
Ukraine seeking Canada�s help to set up high-level corruption court
        Federal government spending tens of thousands at elite private club
Real tragedy of Operation Medusa is that Taliban may soon win back ground hard won by Canadian troops
        Ottawa fails to act in time to stop lawsuit on solitary confinement

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOONIE POLITICS<<<<<<<<<<<<<< http://looniepolitics.com/

Never let the constitution be a barrier for theatrical outrage

RCMP created, then abandoned metadata-crunching tool to extract criminal intelligence - Jim Bronskill - The Canadian Press, Toronto Star
        Unprecedented anti-trade forces make any outcome in B.C. election a no-win situation for Alberta - Don Braid, National Post
Trudeau government spends $30K on Come From Away tickets - Peter Cowan, CBC News
        When Trudeau called Trump: The story of the call that saved NAFTA - Alex Panetta, The Canadian Press, Macleans
N.S. Liberal candidate apologizes to Down syndrome groups for tweet - The Canadian Press, Toronto Star
        Patrick Brown light on policy on the road to being premier - Martin Regg Cohn, Toronto Star
In B.C. election 2017, the Green Party could be kingmakers - Nancy Macdonald, Macleans
        Harjit Sajjan up for more embarrassment - Mark Bonokoski, Winnipeg Sun
Manitoba premier won�t say how he communicates with staff while in Costa Rica - Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press, CTV News
        Furey: Maxime Bernier is as centrist as it gets - Anthony Furey, Toronto Sun

NDP, Liberals neck and neck in B.C. polls, but Christy Clark could have edge - �ric Grenier, CBC News
        Canada needs to �stand-up to our responsibilities� on defence spending, says Liberal-appointed senator - Murray Brewster, CBC News
Home Capital problem hitting close to home for Wynne Liberals - Robert Benzie, Toronto Star
        Erin O�Toole�s �one weakness� in leadership race: name recognition - Laura Payton, CTV News
Public safety, not costs, the top priority in fighting floods, Goodale says - Kathleen Harris, CBC News
        B.C. Election 2017: NDP bus spins its wheels in Surrey - The Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun
"Substantial progress� being made between doctors, government says new OMA boss - Rob Ferguson, Toronto Star
        Spectre of empty houses haunt Canada�s two most expensive housing markets- Gary Marr, Financial Post

TOUTES LES NOUVELLES PUBLIES DEPUIS 24 HEURES http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/aujourdhui/

Les �tats-Unis soucieux de lever �l'incertitude� autour de l'AL�NAPlus
        Accord de Paris sur le climat: Trump h�site, reporte sa d�cisionPlus
Ottawa va injecter 1 million $ dans le fonds de la Croix-RougePlus
        Le s�nateur Don Meredith d�missionnePlus
Un contrat de 59 millions $ pour CGI � Los AngelesPlus
        L'homme arr�t� fin avril pr�s du parlement britannique inculp� pour terrorismePlus
Les Qu�b�cois d�penseront environ 67$ pour la f�te des M�resPlus
        Le premier ministre invite la population � faire preuve de g�n�rosit�Plus
Les grands patrons gagnent 347 fois plus que leurs salari�s Plus
        Les Sud-Cor�ens votent pour tirer un trait sur le scandale ParkPlus

Le S�nat veut des d�penses historiques en d�fense et l'abandon de l'achat des Super HornetPlus
        Pas de conflit commercial en vue avec le Canada, selon WashingtonPlus

FOREIGN AFFAIRS & GENERAL INFO

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOONIE WORLD<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< http://looniepolitics.com/
Texas Governor Signs Law Banning �Sanctuary Cities� - Tim Stelloh, NBC News
        Cleaning Up Democrats� Health-Care Mess - Susan Stamper Brown, Townhall
White House confirms Obama warning on Flynn: He wasn�t a �fan� - Jordan Fabian, The Hill
        Clinton�s Excuse Making Means She�s Running in 2020 - Michael Goodwin, New York Post
The 43 people who might run against Trump in 2020 - Lisa Hagen, The Hill
        Obama Defends Affordable Care Act, but Leaves Trump Out of It - Michael D. Shear, New York Times
South Sudan crisis: One million child refugees- BBC News
        Capriles rejects Maduro plan to rewrite constitution- Al Jazeera
Over 80 missing after migrant boat sinks off Libya- AFP, The Times Of India
        Beaten, but not broken, Le Pen eyes parliamentary vote- France 24
UK can expect Macron to be tough on Brexit, key adviser warns- Matthew Weaver and Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THE LEBANON DAILY STAR<<<<<<<< http://www.dailystar.com

U.S. does not see Moon win in S.Korea significantly changing ties
        EU tells US: Funding UN more important than defense spending
White House approves supply of weapons to YPG in Syria: US official
        Voters in Canada's British Columbia head to polls in dead-heat race
Denmark open to sending more troops to Afghanistan: minister
        Greek debt relief "closer than ever" but creditors must act, Greek prime minister says
UN climate talks frustrated over US stance
        Ukraine rebels roll out banned tanks on WWII Victory Day
Abbas says ready to meet Israel PM as part of Trump peace efforts
        Putin urges world to fight terror as Russia marks WWII victory

Early humans co-existed in Africa with human-like species 300,000 years ago
        Anti-ISIS coalition meets in Denmark to assess campaign
Judges hit Trump lawyer with tough questions over revised travel ban
        May�s Conservatives Party opens up record lead: ICM poll
Wooing Germany: Macron team debates eurozone reform tactics
        Banks planning to move 9,000 jobs from U.K. because of Brexit
Europe�s far right down but not out after French election
        Many French voters yet to be convinced by Macron despite overwhelming victory
Euroskeptics see win as bad news for Brexit

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sign Of The Times <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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From: Ed Lack <edwardjj2004@yahoo.ca>
To:  <phoenix.rising@bellnet.ca>
Subject: Greetings from Edward

Thank you Joe for your daily updates.

We are bombarded daily with info and my prime goal is the evict the Trudeau Liberals, improve our economy, closing some programs which have no payback for Canada, secure our borders..... Our Military .... The Fake News Media...There are so many things to do.... The invasion of Islam ...
It will take the next government a Year just to realize the harm which has been done before proceeding to correct it.

The world has lost faith in Canada, Foreign Pension funds used to invest in Canada as a safe haven, no more.

In the wake of a weak economic report showing the worst wage growth since 1997, there’s even more bad news for Canada’s economy.
The Canadian dollar is the worst performing major currency on earth so far this year.

The Loonie is down 1.50% vs the US dollar in 2017.

By contrast, the Mexican Peso is up 10.13%, the British Pound is up 4.95%, and even the Euro is up 2.45%.
Taken together, recent economic data paints a very concerning picture of our economy. Our currency is losing value, wages are low, more people are giving up on entering the job market, and our debt and deficit continue to rise.

The high-tax, high-spending policies of the federal government are not working, and the falling Loonie is a warning sign that confidence in our economy is being lost. Since an economy functions in large part on the confidence of consumers and investors, any loss of belief in Canada’s economic strength can have serious negative consequences.

Add to that the government plans for even higher taxes, and growing trade disputes with the United States, and it is clear Canada’s economy needs a completely new approach to ensure our people can achieve prosperity and financial security.

Edward

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From: Larry Kazdan
To: Letters Editor Cc: Andrew Coyne <acoyne@postmedia.com>
Subject: Re:  The infrastructure bank was a promising idea, if only the Liberals had stayed out of it, Andrew Coyne | May 8, 2017

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-the-infrastructure-bank-was-a-promising-idea-if-only-the-liberals-had-stayed-out-of-it

Andrew Coyne argues that the infrastructure bank's basic idea is sound because risks of each venture should be reflected in the cost of capital. However, energy, water and transportation projects generally have captive consumers, and revenues are almost guaranteed. Michael Sabia, a member of Trudeau's Economic Advisory Council and a pension fund CEO has admitted that long term investors would receive "stable, predictable returns in the 7 to 9 per cent range with a low risk of capital loss".  Unlike public ownership whose intent is to lower the cost of living and doing business, the aim of private owners is to maximize returns. 

From the end of World War II through 1975, between 20�25% of Canadian public debt was financed and held by the Bank of Canada. During that period, federal government capital expenditure funded highways, airports, bridges, schools, and hospitals. In addition, significant social programs were introduced - Canada-wide Medicare, unemployment insurance, and cost-sharing with the provinces for higher education and welfare. A government dedicated to helping the middle class would retain control of airports and other infrastructure, and would finance them by low-interest advances from our central bank, whose shares are 100% owned by the Minister of Finance. Handing over our public assets to big investment funds and foreign owners is just plain foolish.

Footnotes:

1.  Justin Trudeau�s big infrastructure mistake

http://canadafactcheck.ca/justin-trudeaus-big-infrastructure-mistake/

"Michael Sabia, who in addition to being a Council member is also CEO of Quebec�s Caisse de d�p�t pension fund, let the cat out of the bag in a March 3 speech to the Toronto Region Board of Trade:

�For long term investors, infrastructure offers something that�s not easy to find today: stable, predictable returns in the 7 to 9 per cent range with a low risk of capital loss � exactly what we need to meet our clients� long term needs�.

2. Michael Hudson is Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and author The Bubble and Beyond (2012). http://michael-hudson.com/2016/02/the-atlanticist-tactic-revisited/

The reason governments operate railways and other basic infrastructure is to lower the cost of living and doing business. The aim of private owners, by contrast, is to raise the prices as high as they can. This is called �rent extraction.� Private owners put up tollbooths to raise the cost of infrastructure services that are being privatized. This is the opposite of what the classical economists meant by �free market.�

3. Is Monetary Financing Inflationary? A Case Study of the Canadian Economy, 1935�75

http://www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_848.pdf

"As shown in figure 1, between 20�25% of Canadian public debt was financed and held by the central bank and government from the end of World War II up to the early 1980s but inflation was below 5% right up until the early 1970s����..

***

�.in the period 1945�70�.Federal government capital expenditure funded highways, airports, bridges, schools, hospitals, and other physical infrastructure.

***

During the period 1960-75, the federal government also introduced virtually all of the major policy innovations that make up Canada�s system of social programs: Canada-wide Medicare, universal pensions, the modern unemployment insurance system, and cost-sharing with the provinces for higher education and welfare."

===================================
From: "Mahmood Elahi"
To: <lettertoed@thestar.ca>
Subject: To understand Trudeau's coming second landslide, look at Pitt the Younger

The Editor
The Toronto Star

To understand Trudeau�s coming second landslide, look at Pitt the Younger

Re: �What Maxim Bernier�s Canada would look like,� by Alex Boutilier, May 8.

Maxim Bernier is a good politician, but unfortunately, he has little chance against highly popular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

To understand the second landslide of Trudeau the Younger, one may take a look at 18^th-century Britain where William Pitt the Younger, following in the footsteps of his famous father, William Pitt the Elder, became prime minister at the tender age of 24 and ridiculed for his lack of experience. A popular ditty commented that it was �a sight to make all nations stand and stare: a kingdom trusted to a schoolboy�s care.� But he proved to be successful. He reformed the Canadian and Indian governments, abolished the slave trade, created a �sinking fund� to pay down the debt and signed a trade treaty with France. He also kept Britain out of the turmoil of the French Revolution. He served as prime minister for 17 years and died young in office at the age of 46. Most historians consider him as Britain�s greatest prime minister who oversaw Britain�s transformation from a rural and agricultural society to an urban and industrial one.

Justin Trudeau shares many traits with Pitt the Younger. Like younger Pitt, he is the son of a great Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. He is also very charismatic. Although not as young as Pitt the Younger, at 43, he is young enough to satisfy the public yearning for change after a decade of Harper government. Although I am disappointed by his abandoning of electoral reform, he has been largely successful in his first year in office. He successfully re-resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada, addressed the grievances of native Canadians, signed the climate change agreement and passed an infrastructure budget. He remains highly popular and is likely to be re-elected in a second landslide. Mr. Bernier has little chance against Trudeau the Younger.

MAHMOOD ELAHI

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