Thursday, 1 May 2014

Liberal Budget Plans For $12.5 Billion Deficit?

Well the free wheeling liberals are at it again in Ontario. This budget just announced will give the taxpayers a $12.5 billion deficit all in hopes of buying votes come the next election. Problem is the people see through it and even the people who have continued to put these clowns into office are realizing that they cannot afford to keep this government in place. So what's it all mean? It is election time in Ontario and this time if the Conservatives do not present themselves as the clear and shall we say, better alternative to the liberals they may find them selves in the same position they are now.

Hudak et al need to sharpen their pencils, bring out an alternative budget that will make Ontario the powerhouse that Canada needs it to be. Unlike the Liberals taxes on corporations would go down under a Hudak government, thus making them more competitive on the world markets. This would lead to employment gains, more income taxes and more money being spent in their local economies, win/win!

What Ontario doesn't need right now is to be piling on more debt, further kicking the can down the road where our youth will have to pay it back. Do these politicians not see the problem that they are creating, how can they do this to their children and grandchildren? Ontario needs change, let's hope Hudak comes through this time around....

From the Toronto Sun:

Liberals table budget with $12.5B deficit

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BY ANTONELLA ARTUSO ,QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF

FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, MAY 01, 2014 04:04 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 01, 2014 06:31 PM EDT

TORONTO - The 2014 Ontario budget hikes taxes on smokers, high earners and frequent flyers.

Ontario will hit up upper-income earners for $635 million more this year, smokers for $140 million, corporations for $40 million and users of aviation fuel by $25 million.

The Ontario Liberal budget released Thursday jacks up the Personal Income Tax Rate by 1.56% on those earning more than $150,000 a year, and by 3.12% for people making more than $220,000.

Cigarettes are jumping by $3.25 a carton plus HST which brings the increase to $3.67 on 200 cigarettes.

Aviation fuel taxes will soar by 248%.

The budget calls for $130.4 billion in spending on programs and debt repayment in 2014-15, up $3.4 billion from the previous year.

The revenue that the treasury takes in will rise to $118.9 billion, up $3 billion, leaving a shortfall of $12.5 billion including a $1 billion reserve.

The government is predicting significant increases in revenue to bring the deficit down to zero by 2017-18.

Annual interest payments for paying off the province’s ballooning debt will grow to $11 billion this year, $12 billion next year and $13.3 billion in 2016-17.

Net debt — the amount Ontario owes — will hit $317.2 billion in two years, which is $21,019 for every person in the province.

In 2003-04, when the Ontario Liberals first took over government, the net debt was $10,971 per person.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa also put in a number of measures to help low income families and workers. He said 98% of Ontarians will not see their personal income taxes go up.

Sousa said he believes that NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and her caucus can find good reasons to support his budget.

The minority Kathleen Wynne government will be plunged into an election within a month without support from the NDP but the object of Liberals’ affection stood them up.

Horwath was a no show in the budget lock up — the first time veterans can remember an opposition leader blowing off the media availability, and one wag immediately dubbing her “absent Andrea.”

“I’m perplexed as to why the leader of the Third Party would not stand before Ontarians … because this is about the well-being of Ontarians,” Sousa said. “They deserve to know where (the NDP) are at.

“It’s frankly letting Ontarians down by not standing here today responding to your questions,” Sousa said.

PC Leader Tim Hudak said this budget is more than a fiscal document, it’s about the future of the province, and Horwath should have appeared to provide her view on it.

“We’re paid a good salary to make decisions and take a stance,” Hudak said.

Horwath has scheduled a media conference for Friday morning to discuss the budget.

After years of flat or declining profits in beer and wine taxes, the Ontario government thinks people will be boozing it up a bit more and anticipates a $16-million increase in revenue.

The treasury is also counting on $935 million more in “sales and rentals” from its plan to “maximize” the value of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Hydro One and the LCBO, and also the possible sale of Ontario-owned General Motors sales.

Spending is up in 19 of 26 ministries — only the ministries of the Attorney General, Francophone Affairs, Infrastructure, Natural Resources,

A billion Jobs and Prosperity Fund will allow the government to dole out $2.5 billion to its chosen businesses over the next 10 years, and a recent example is last week’s $120-million grant to the country’s largest software producer, OpenText.

As previously announced, the government will retire the debt retirement charge bill as of Jan. 1, 2016, but with the end of the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit at the same time, average hydro customers will pay just over $120 more a year.

There are hydro cost breaks for low income families and for more industrial users.

Ontario government plans to spend more than $130 billion over 10 years infrastructure such as roads, bridges and public transit with new borrowing, redirected taxes and proceeds from high occupancy toll lanes

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Obama and His Bowing Down To The Far Left

It is well documented that the Obama administration has continually stuck roadblocks in the way of approving oil pipelines in fear that the environmental lobby dollars will dry up. First it was his fear of not getting re-elected and now it is in fear of losing both houses if he were to give the government's approval of the long awaited Keystone Pipeline, thus leaving him two years of having to work with those across the isle in order to move government forward.

It should come as no surprise that there is yet another train derailment and consequential inferno from a crude oil shipment. It leaves me to think there really is no such thing as common sense anymore in government. I mean we have had billions of barrels of oil travel through pipelines with very few large scale spills. In the last year we have had many train derailments and many lives have been lost due to the large fires that break out in such situations. Yet, those in power refuse approvals for new pipelines, pipelines that would create thousands of jobs, create wealth and most importantly of all reduce America's dependence on oil that comes from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and other nations that do not have America's best interest at heart.

The "enviro nuts" will continue to say that approval of pipelines will slow the uptake of renewables or other environmentally friendlier energy solutions. This is where they are wrong, it will not slow the movement to renewables, the all mighty dollar will. Once these types of energy are made cheaper and more efficient I think you will find most people will be willing to switch, until then oil and gas will be needed to bridge until we get to that point. But in the meantime these people would rather support rogue states than supporting jobs right at home and up here in Canada. Am I the only one who sees the flawed thinking here? How can these people sleep at night knowing that they are supporting sending billions of dollars overseas to people who may support terrorists that target American and other Western nation interests? Go figure, but today's derailment should serve as a reminder that Obama and his bowing down to the far left is holding America up and in doing so are putting countless lives at stake.

Oil tanker train derails in Lynchburg, Va., triggering fire and spill

Paresh Dave

April 30, 2014, 3:21 p.m.

About 15 train tanker cars carrying crude oil derailed Wednesday afternoon in Lynchburg, Va., plunging several of them into the James River, sparking a massive fire and spilling oil.

The derailment prompted evacuations in the downtown district near the railway for hours until the massive fire that spewed black, acrid smoke was extinguished. There were no reports of injuries or damage to nearby buildings.

Downstream more than 100 miles, a spokeswoman for the city of Richmond said utility officials stopped capturing water from the river as a precaution until the extent of environmental damage caused by the oil spill became clear. Instead, Richmond is relying on a backup canal for water. Lynchburg said the oil spill did not affect its water supply.

“We are committed to fully supporting the emergency responders and other agencies, meeting the needs of the community and protecting the environment,” the rail company said. CSX Transportation, which operated the Chicago-to-Virginia freight train, said the fire erupted from three punctured cars after the 2:30 p.m. derailment. In a statement, the company said it was sending safety and environmental experts to the scene.

Lynchburg spokeswoman JoAnn Martin told the Los Angeles Times that firefighters were “keeping an eye” on the train cars to make sure they didn't spark up again as night fell.

Wednesday’s fire is the latest in a series involving trains carrying crude oil as the nation’s drilling boom fuels a surge in oil transportation. Fearful of seeing similar accidents in their own jurisdictions, some officials have called for tougher safety regulations for freight train operators.

Pat Calvert, who monitors the James River's ecology for the nonprofit James River Assn., said he received reports that “blobs of black glue” had been seen floating in the river after the derailment. The river has been surging after recent heavy rainfall, stoking concerns that the spill would quickly spread.

“We’ve had train derailments on the river before, but it’s never before been a toxic substance,” Calvert told The Times as he drove to the scene. His office is about 150 yards away from the site, but he was in a meeting in Charlottesville on Wednesday afternoon.

“I hope a real national discussion will ensue so this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s river or community,” he said. “ I just wish it wasn’t happening in our river.”

Calvert said the area near the derailment had undergone a renaissance in recent years, switching from a heavily industrial area to a residential and commercial neighborhood that has embraced the riverfront.

“A great deal of effort has been put into making it into an asset,” he said. The river stretches 350 miles, with the freight rail line along its bank most of the way, Calvert said.

He and other critics of existing safety standards for rail cars worry that similar accidents could happen along riverways or even more densely populated areas such as Richmond.

On Wednesday, Philip Wilmarth felt the heat from the fire on the sixth floor of a building a couple of hundred yards away. He told The Times that he didn’t hear an explosion, but he saw at least a few train cars off the tracks.

“The train had completely come off the tracks, and the fireball, it’s very large,” Wilmarth said. “They evacuated us out pretty quickly. My guess is something ruptured in the tanks, and they got sparks from cars hitting together.”

He said he couldn’t see the end of the train, but all of the cars he saw were exactly the same – black cylinders.

While he waited on the street before being told to leave the area, other witnesses told Wilmarth that the explosion had blown the windows off Depot Grille restaurant.

One witness told WSET-TV that the train was traveling along as usual when the earth appeared to collapse beneath it, suggesting a possible sinkhole after heavy rains in recent days.

Other people in the downtown district said they heard a roar, like a jet passing by.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he sent state-level emergency responders to the scene of the derailment.

“Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Adam Thiel has been dispatched to the scene and will provide my team and me with constant updates as this situation unfolds,” the governor said in a statement. “I have also spoken with Lynchburg Mayor Michael Gillette and offered him any and all resources he needs to respond to this incident and keep Virginians safe.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration were expected to investigate the derailment.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-lynchburg-virginia-train-derailment-20140430,0,4007820.story#ixzz30Q6Cpcmh

Canada Sending Frigate To Eastern Europe

Canada sending frigate to join NATO in eastern Europe

STEVEN CHASE

Ottawa — The Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Apr. 30 2014, 3:15 PM EDT

Last updated Wednesday, Apr. 30 2014, 4:23

Canada is dispatching the frigate HMCS Regina to join the NATO military alliance’s efforts to beef up security in central and eastern Europe as the crisis in Ukraine deepens.

The ship is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea and will join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Standing Maritime Forces “as part of NATO’s reassurance package,” the Canadian government said.

On Tuesday Canada sent six CF-18 fighters to Romania to help with air patrols of NATO members as neighbours of Russia remain anxious over Russia’s territorial ambitions.The Conservative government would not immediately say where the HMCS Regina is heading now.

“Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine and provocative military activity remains a serious concern to the international community,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.

“Canada remains committed to working with our NATO Allies to promote the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-sending-frigate-to-nato-security-effort-in-eastern-europe/article18343817/

More Ukranian Government Buildings Taken By Pro-Russian Rebels

It will be interesting to see how long the Ukrainian Government will hold back lethal force against these rebels/Russian Infiltrators? I am sure the Ukrainian Government is asking the EU and the rest of the West for direction here but for me the best bet is to hit Russia hard with an all out sanction blitz. As I said in a previous post, Putin will not pull these rebels back unless he is feeling the pressure at home. There has already been a real drop in the Russian GDP, but is it enough to get Putin to reconsider his moves? I don't think so and it is time for our leaders to show that they are capable of leading and go for the throat of the main players at the top of the Russian government.

Where is our generation's Maggie and Ronnie? Why must we not back up our red lines as we have done in the past? I think we have a leader here in Canada that would be that type if he had the clout of the US, or UK, but alas he is Canadian and as such he will not be given the time of day that a leader of one of those great nations would garner.

Obama has had many of these dealings throughout his tenure, and each and every time he leaves the citizens of the world asking the same question. When will he back up his words? Time to man up Mr. Obama and show that you are deserving of being the president of the most powerful nation in the world. Take more decisive action against the Russians and hit them hard where it hurts.....in the pocketbook!

Pro-Russia Separatists Seize More Ukraine Buildings

Pro-Russian armed men take cover behind a car near the local police headquarters in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, April 29, 2014

TEXT SIZE

VOA News

April 29, 2014 8:40 AM

Hundreds of pro-Russian separatists overran more Ukrainian government buildings near the Russian border Tuesday, seizing a prosecutor's office in Luhansk and attacking a police station with clubs and automatic weapons.

Local authorities say police did not offer resistance, and witnesses say gunmen raised a separatist flag over government headquarters in the city of 450,000 residents.

The takeover appears to give pro-Moscow rebels control of a second provincial capital in the east, after separatists seized control of Donetsk Monday and set a referendum on secession for May 11. A similar vote last month led to Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The government in Kyiv has all but lost control of its police forces in parts of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian activists have seized buildings in the region's second biggest city of Donetsk and several smaller towns.

Pro-Russian activists storm an administration building in the center of Luhansk, Ukraine, one of the largest cities in Ukraine's troubled east, April 29, 2014.

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"The regional leadership does not control its police force,'' said Stanislav Rechynsky, an aide to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. "The local police did nothing.''

Meanwhile, Hennady Kernes, the mayor of eastern Ukraine's biggest city, Kharkiv, was in a stable condition on Tuesday in a hospital in Israel, where he was flown after an apparent assassination attempt.

US, EU sanctions

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Tuesday that international sanctions imposed on Russia are putting pressure on the country's economy, and that more actions may be taken if Moscow's behavior does not change.

"You have to look over the period of time Russia went into Crimea, since we've imposed sanctions, there has been a quite substantial deterioration in Russia's already weak economy," Lew told a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. "We see it in their stock exchange, we see it in their exchange rate, we see it in a number of important economic indicators.''

Lew said the United States is keeping its options open and is prepared to take further action if Russian policy toward Ukraine doesn't change.

The European Union Tuesday announced asset freezes and travel bans on 15 Russians and Ukrainians over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, but the measures were seen as less aggressive than sanctions imposed this week by the United States

While visiting Cuba Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed U.S. and European Union sanctions, saying they defied common sense and were the work of weak politicians in the West "attempting to blame others."

Putin on sanctions

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia sees no need for counter-sanctions against the West, but could reconsider the participation of Western companies in its economy, including energy projects, if sanctions continued.

“We would very much wish not to resort to any measures in response,” he told reporters after meeting leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan in Minsk.

“But if something like that continues, we will of course have to think about who is working in the key sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy sector, and how,” added Putin.

Putin reiterated his accusations that the United States was orchestrating the Ukraine crisis.

Intercepted calls

Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States has recordings proving that Moscow is running a network of spies inside eastern Ukraine, reports The Daily Beast which says it obtained a recording of a closed-door meeting attended by the U.S. top diplomat.

“We know exactly who’s giving those orders, we know where they are coming from,” Kerry reportedly said at a private meeting of the Trilateral Commission in Washington.

Kerry, according to The Daily Beast, didn’t name specific Russian officials implicated but claimed that the intercepts provided proof of Moscow deliberately fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine - and lying about it to U.S. officials and the public.

“This is insulting to everybody’s intelligence, let alone to our notions about how we ought to be behaving in the 21st century. It’s thuggism, it’s rogue state-ism. It’s the worst order of behavior,” Kerry reportedly said.

Status of OSCE monitors

In separatist-held Slovyansk, the self-declared mayor said he would discuss the release of detained military observers only if the European Union dropped sanctions against rebel leaders.

But later in the day, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov said "good progress" had been made in talks with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the release of seven of its observers held since Friday. The observers had travelled to eastern Ukraine under the auspices of the democracy watchdog.

Troops on border

Meanwhile, there is no visible sign of any sizeable troop movements away from Ukraine's border where Moscow deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and hardware, a NATO official said Tuesday.

In a phone call Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that Russian forces, which he said started drills near the border last week, had returned to their permanent positions, according to the Russian government.

"We currently have no information that indicates a withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border. We continue to urge Russia to abide by the Geneva agreement and to pull back all its troops along the Ukrainian border in favor of diplomacy and dialogue,'' a NATO official told Reuters.

^{Some information for this report contributed by AP and Reuters.}

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

What To Do With Russia and The Ukraine?

Well the weeks have gone by since Russia took over control of Crimea with little, to no real sanctions to pressure Mr. Putin and his inner circle. What have we done so far? Sanctions on a select few within the Russian government and companies/banks that are close to the upper echelon of the government. These sanctions may have long term consequences but nothing that will be felt for quite a while. So what more can be done?

Lets first look at hitting the top decision makers within the Russian government. I am talking Mr. Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev. How about placing hard hitting sanctions on these guys, freeze their foreign assets, restrict air travel etc, make these sanctions be felt by the heads of state.

Next we need to look at getting the message across to the people of Russia, they are being hoodwinked by their government. But how do you do this with most media strictly controlled by Putin? You need to look at the media not controlled by the government and feed them the true stories, I mean a Ukrainian Mayor shot in the back by a pro-Russian assailant, what are the chances that this is being reported in Russia.....slim to none I would think and you can guarantee it is not being reported on any of the state controlled media outlets.

There are other ways to get the word out as well, social media is the best way in my opinion, problem is that the government is making sure nothing is being passed on that they do not want their people to know. The EU, US, Canada and others can look at ways to unlock these social media sites and make others like Facebook and Twitter more accessible. The top Russian social media site VKontakte, was just taken over by pro-Putin supporters after founder Pavel Durov stated he would not censor his site. Durov has since fled the country and will not return fearing for his safety. Durov says that VKontakte is "under the complete control of Igor Sechin and Alisher Usmanov", the chief executive of state-owned oil company Rosneft and Putin's former deputy chief of staff, and the richest man in Russia, respectively. Is it time for this site to be infiltrated by the international community, although governments say they do not take part in this type of activity there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is the case.

Energy is of course the big stumbling block here, Russia controls it's neighbours by controlling their energy needs. Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, UK, and many others are held hostage by Russia in this department. For years they have wielded this power over these countries by pressuring them into concessions on state matters They have just recently dramatically increased prices for gas going into Ukraine and increase are sure to come for the rest of the countries dependent on Russia for natural gas imports. Russia will strike back at any of these nations that impose sanctions on them so in the coming months you will see the cost of natural gas go up dramatically in the rest of Europe. So what can we do? Canada, the US, and the Middle East need to do their part here, make our energy more accessible to Europe and thus try to ring in this stranglehold Russia has on them. We can also look at domestic energy within these nations, maybe give some sort of tax breaks for companies willing to go into these countries and drill. Poland, Spain, France and the Uk have enough domestic oil and gas that could supply the rest of the continent in a few short years, all they need is the expertise and money. This is where targeted tax breaks by not only the EU but maybe Canada and the US as well that would go a long ways in helping to unlock these resources.

I am sure I am going to miss hundreds of other options but the last option I want to talk about is military support. We should be looking to beef up the Ukrainian defenses and help them take back their government buildings in east Ukraine that have been taken by heavily(re:Russian Paramilitary) armed pro-Russian rebels. We don't want a civil war to break out here but there needs to be law and order instilled which should be the ultimate goal.

The one thing I do know is that Obama, and the rest of the world need to make a hard stand here and let Russia know that they cannot just go around annexing their neighbour's land nor bullying them in any way. The world is civilized Mr. Putin, it is time for you to get on board.

Monday, 17 June 2013

Stephen Harper Stepping Up!

After Harper's comments, Putin cast as pariah at G8 hare on pr

Steve Rennie, The Canadian Press

Published Monday, June 17, 2013 11:26AM EDT

ENNISKILLEN -- If this G8 meeting if any indication, the next gathering of world leaders in Russia is shaping up to be a strained affair.

A chasm has emerged between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the rest of the Group of Eight leaders over the deepening crisis in Syria.

That division was laid bare on Sunday night when Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Putin, who hosts the G20 summit in St. Petersburg in September, the outlier of the G8.

How to persuade Putin to drop his seemingly unshakable support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is the main challenge facing the other leaders at this meeting at the lakeside Lough Erne resort in Northern Ireland.

The bloody Syrian conflict has now raged for two years and at least 93,000 people have died.

Tensions escalated last week after the United States announced it would begin arming opponents of Assad's regime.

Russia -- which is in the G8 and has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council -- has been highly critical of the U.S. move to give weapons and ammunition to the rebels.

"One does not really need to support the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines in front of the public and cameras," a Reuters report quoted Putin as saying.

"Are these the people you want to support? Are they the ones you want to supply with weapons? Then this probably has little relation to the humanitarian values preached in Europe for hundreds of years."

Putin was apparently referring to a Syrian rebel commander caught on tape last month cutting into a dead soldier and biting into one of his organs.

Russia has steadfastly stuck with the Syrian regime even as the United States claims to have proof that forces loyal to Assad have used chemical weapons. Russian officials have dismissed those claims, saying they're based on flimsy evidence

Harper -- speaking on the eve of the summit -- said Putin is unlikely to drop his support for Assad at this gathering of the leaders of the world's eight wealthiest countries.

In doing so, Harper all but called Putin the pariah of the G8 when it comes to Syria.

"Look, I think that dialogue will be interesting. I think it's important to have that kind of dialogue," Harper said Sunday night in Dublin. "But I don't think we should fool ourselves. This is G7 plus one. OK, let's be blunt. That's what this is, G7 plus one.

"We in the West have a very different perspective on this situation. Mr. Putin and his government are supporting the thugs of the Assad regime for their own reasons that I do not think are justifiable and Mr. Putin knows my view on that."

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday said he hoped to narrow the gap between Putin and the other leaders over the course of the two-day summit.

Two senior Canadian government officials, who spoke to journalists on the condition their names not be published, said Putin can expect an earful from the rest of the G8.

"It won't be an easy discussion," one of the officials said.

"They get heated sometimes," added the second official, "particularly on these kinds of issues."

They also underscored what's at stake in these closed-door talks.

"It's part of the ebb and flow of the G8," the second official said. "You know, we had a different position from Russia on Libya and yet we managed to have that discussion and I think the value of the G8 is the small format.

"Leaders can have frank discussions behind closed doors. So this is not the first time it's happened where there's been a core difference of opinion among G8 members. You're right, this one's serious. So was Libya."

The Harper government, meanwhile, announced Monday that Canada would give $90 million in new humanitarian assistance to Syria this year. That's on top of $100 million announced on Sunday to help Jordan cope with the fallout from the Syrian conflict.

Monday, 10 June 2013

Sick Days Come Into Question

Public servants’ number of sick days are ‘unsustainable’: Clement

BILL CURRY AND JOHN IBBITSON

OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 12:38 PM EDT

Last updated Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 12:54 PM EDT

The Conservative government is taking aim at sick leave in the public service, where it says the absenteeism rate of 18.2 days a year is more than two-and-a-half times the the private sector average.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement outlined the new policies Monday in the foyer of the House of Commons, releasing the first details on plans that were hinted at in the March 2013 budget.

Mr. Clement wants to replace the existing rules, which haven’t been changed since 1970, with two new programs. A short-term disability system will be put in place for workers with temporary illnesses.

The long-term disability program will be reformed with an aim to improve reintegration into the workplace.

Mr. Clement points out that the current system of banked sick days leads to an absenteeism rate that is well above the average of 6.7 days in the private sector.

“That is simply unsustainable for any employer that intends to run a modern, high-performing and effective work force,” said Mr. Clement.

The minister argues that not only is the current system a problem for taxpayers, it is not fair to employees.

Relying on banked sick days is an “inefficient and haphazard” way of managing human resources, according to the minister, because it does not involve case management and rehabilitation support.

“It’s also unfair to employees. If you are stricken with a sudden illness and you need an operation that will force you to be off work for three or four months, but you don’t have enough sick days, you are simply out of luck,” he said.

According to the minister, 11 per cent of public servants do not have any banked sick days and nearly 60 per cent don’t have enough sick days to cover them until the 13-week mark, when long-term disability insurance kicks in. This is seen by the government as discriminatory toward newer and younger employees.

It is not clear exactly what the change in policy will mean for sick days and whether there will be an annual amount set aside.

This latest government proposal will become part of the bargaining mix when negotiations get seriously under way in 2014. Changing the rules surrounding sick leave and disability will require changes to collective agreements, many of which expire in 2015.

Monday’s announcement is the latest tranche in a serious of reforms and proposed reforms aimed at saving money and improving productivity.

Previous changes included requiring workers to foot half the cost of pension programs, eliminating voluntary severance for workers who quit their jobs and implementing mandatory performance management reviews.

The changes – combined with consecutive years of budget cuts in federal departments – have led to a sometimes hostile relationship between the government and public sector unions. The largest federal union – the Public Service Alliance of Canada – has run several versions of a campaign called “Harper Hates Me” that criticizes Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Mr. Clement notes that at annual cost of $43-billion, spending on public sector pay and benefits is the most significant federal expenditure.

The Common Sense Conservative

Thursday, 1 May 2014

Liberal Budget Plans For $12.5 Billion Deficit?

Liberals table budget with $12.5B deficit

Ontario Liberals Release Budget

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Obama and His Bowing Down To The Far Left