Federal Government & Politics II

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I fell like this is a daily refrain now but "Thanks Justin Trudeau":

Man accused of plot to attack New York Jewish centre was in Canada on student visa
Anna Mehler Paperny
Reuters
Published 1 hour ago
For Subscribers

A Pakistani man accused of plotting to attack a New York City Jewish centre in support of Islamic State was in Canada on a student visa, Canada’s immigration minister said on Tuesday.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested in Canada last Wednesday as he allegedly tried to enter the U.S. He was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely Islamic State, or ISIS.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Khan of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around Oct. 7, 2024, about a year after Hamas’ attack in Israel.

Khan came to Canada on a student visa in June 2023, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters on Tuesday. The visa was issued the month before....

....Canada approved more student visas in May and June 2023 than in any month since at least January 2019, according to data from the immigration department. Approvals have since fallen....

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/worl...-in-canada-on/

So once again the USA busts bad actors from Canada. It is clear whatever vetting is done is minimal and inadequate.

Not the only threat to the US. There's also the Canadian right wingers funneling Russian money to American right wingers in an attempt to influence American politics. You can bet the Americans will have lots of questions about that too. Particularly given how Lauren Chen specifically designed her company to launder Russian funds through Canada in an attempt to avoid getting caught by a FISA warrant.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/09/0...-legal-status/

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Wow, that's terrible. At least pharmacare and dental care were peanuts in comparison to OAS.

OAS, as it's currently set up, is the biggest single drag on our finances as a country. This is basically a UBI paid out of general revenues for seniors that only begins to cut out at individual incomes of over $80,000. It is the largest single spending item in the Federal budget: OAS combined with GIS (which I defend more) cost $60 billion. It's estimated that OAS will account for 18% of total Federal spending by 2028.

Whenever people ask "If you think government spending is too high, where would you cut back?" My answer is always: OAS, OAS, OAS. Such a no-brainer.

Good luck getting elected on that promise!

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Words are wind, as George RR Martin would say.

It is something a Conservative leader wouldn't have said even ten years ago.

I'm going to add that those who dismiss Poilievre as Canada's version of Trump make a huge mistake. Watching the Trump Trainwreck on the debate and you see the two are nothing alike. Poilievre might be smarmy but he is not stupid and does not have trouble putting a coherent thought together. Nor is he a complete narcissist.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by whatnext

It is something a Conservative leader wouldn't have said even ten years ago.

I'm going to add that those who dismiss Poilievre as Canada's version of Trump make a huge mistake. Watching the Trump Trainwreck on the debate and you see the two are nothing alike. Poilievre might be smarmy but he is not stupid and does not have trouble putting a coherent thought together. Nor is he a complete narcissist.

I mean a pilots union is barely a union at this point. We are talking about people making $300k+ a year. They are probably solid Conservative donors. Conservatives have long supported doctors unions er associations as they call themselves.

No Polievre is not Trump. No two politicians are the same. He is more like Liz Truss though Liz Truss having already flamed out hopefully means his first budget doesn't resemble that.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Yes I think the enhanced CPP will essentially replace OAS but there is a big hump to get to before we see that implemented substantially.

The clawback now starts at $90k. Reducing to to $70 certainly isn't nothing but likely not more than 5-10% of those collecting and given the clawback would be phased would save what 2-4%?

The Bloc asking for an increase in OAS may be the biggest threat to the long term fiscal health of in years. Maybe that is why they are doing it?

The Bloc is suggesting it because it's a very popular move for those 65 and over and for those who are almost 65. Yes, it would be VERY costly for the next 20 years. Can we afford it? Well yes but it would take away from other things. Our deficits are low compared to most other wealthy countries of which many are struggling to deal with old age payments, social security and other programs.

I'm on the fence about increasing OAS. I'd rather federal dollars be spent through transfers on senior housing and long-term care facilities.

[Build.It]

It's almost as if Trudeau is trying to alienate the citizens.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I mean a pilots union is barely a union at this point. We are talking about people making $300k+ a year. They are probably solid Conservative donors. Conservatives have long supported doctors unions er associations as they call themselves.

No Polievre is not Trump. No two politicians are the same. He is more like Liz Truss though Liz Truss having already flamed out hopefully means his first budget doesn't resemble that.

Maybe captains near the end of their careers, but the average first officer probably makes less than a teacher/cop/fire fighter/TTC bus driver/transit fare collector.

A fourth-year AC first officer (15+ total flight experience) working full time posted his T4 on Reddit showing that he gets paid <70k a year to fly a 737 full time.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Good luck getting elected on that promise!

At the very least, they could bump up the OAS eligibility age to 66 or 67 (hell, even keep early access). When OAS was first introduced, it was to help support gramps and grammy when gramps was simply too old to work in the sawmill, or on the farm, or on the fishing boat anymore and couldn't support themselves.

Now, the average 65 year old is perfectly fine supporting themselves in all manner of non-back breaking labour.

Raise the pension age. Australia was able to do theirs. Denmark was able to do theirs (and now links it to life expectancy). France was able to do theirs. The Netherlands was able to do theirs. It's a completely viable thing to do.

If/when the CPC gets elected, with their expected huge mandate I hope they at least rip that band-aid.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by theman23

Maybe captains near the end of their careers, but the average first officer probably makes less than a teacher/cop/fire fighter/TTC bus driver/transit fare collector.

A fourth-year AC first officer (15+ total flight experience) working full time posted his T4 on Reddit showing that he gets paid <70k a year to fly a 737 full time.

I am very skeptical of claims you only make $70k. I don't know any pilots personally but I know lots of other highly paid professions who have been in disputes over pay where the public face of salary talk is complete BS. Doctors for example.

AC says in a job add it takes 3-5 years to be promoted to narrowbody captain and the salary range for that is $215k-$290k. That is low compared to US salaries sure but far from bus driver or teacher salaries though a few cops might make that with OT. And in solid Con voter territory.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I am very skeptical of claims you only make $70k. I don't know any pilots personally but I know lots of other highly paid professions who have been in disputes over pay where the public face of salary talk is complete BS. Doctors for example.

AC says in a job add it takes 3-5 years to be promoted to narrowbody captain and the salary range for that is $215k-$290k. That is low compared to US salaries sure but far from bus driver or teacher salaries though a few cops might make that with OT. And in solid Con voter territory.

I read somewhere that drivers of the AC bus shuttle from YYZ to Hamilton were making more than newly hired pilots.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by chowhou

At the very least, they could bump up the OAS eligibility age to 66 or 67 (hell, even keep early access). When OAS was first introduced, it was to help support gramps and grammy when gramps was simply too old to work in the sawmill, or on the farm, or on the fishing boat anymore and couldn't support themselves.

Now, the average 65 year old is perfectly fine supporting themselves in all manner of non-back breaking labour.

Raise the pension age. Australia was able to do theirs. Denmark was able to do theirs (and now links it to life expectancy). France was able to do theirs. The Netherlands was able to do theirs. It's a completely viable thing to do.

If/when the CPC gets elected, with their expected huge mandate I hope they at least rip that band-aid.

I don't think that the CPC would touch OAS in a first term. It just isn't worth the risk. Maybe they will come up with some other options. They introduced being able to defer OAS up until age 70 where you can get higher monthly payment for each month deferred up to 36% more. The problem with that is that it was designed to help those who are quite well off and who have high incomes. They would be wise to try to look at something that benefits mid to lower income seniors.

[Build.It]

My thoughts on OAS is the exact same as healthcare and education. Why does the taxpayer need to pay for those that have the means to take care of themselves? Just take care of the bottom ~10% and let everyone else take care of themselves.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I am very skeptical of claims you only make $70k. I don't know any pilots personally but I know lots of other highly paid professions who have been in disputes over pay where the public face of salary talk is complete BS. Doctors for example.

AC says in a job add it takes 3-5 years to be promoted to narrowbody captain and the salary range for that is $215k-$290k. That is low compared to US salaries sure but far from bus driver or teacher salaries though a few cops might make that with OT. And in solid Con voter territory.

You can go and check the T4 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/britishcolu...lly_gets_paid/

There are a few comments in that thread that corroborate the low pay, like a first officer makes less than this on a 737 Max.

[acottawa]

How are airline pilots paid? Do they get a salary or are they paid by the hour? 70k seems really low given the level of skill required and what international pilots make.

There is an American Airlines (I think) pilot that pops up in my YouTube sometimes. He seems to spend a lot of time waiting for flights. I wonder if someone with low seniority would have big gaps in their schedules.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

You can go and check the T4 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/britishcolu...lly_gets_paid/

There are a few comments in that thread that corroborate the low pay, like a first officer makes less than this on a 737 Max.

He's probably going to go tell them they are getting paid more than they know.

Originally Posted by acottawa

How are airline pilots paid? Do they get a salary or are they paid by the hour? 70k seems really low given the level of skill required and what international pilots make.

I knew AC A320 FOs making ~$55k a decade ago in Toronto. It was low then. The airlines see FO jobs as kind of paid internship. And you have to do years as an FO before making AC (aircraft captain). There's also this unwritten assumption: thanks to flight duty limits, most are only working 2-3 days a week, so they have time for another job, and therefore don't need to get paid more. Always good to have the guy who is second in command of your airplane distracted by his second job.

Air Canada also doesn't care about retention. They are fine losing experienced pilots to foreign careers. There's ex-AC pilots who commute from Canada to Dubai, Hong Kong, etc. That's how much their skills are valued.

[suburbanite]

My good friend is a pilot for AC and my understanding is that they are technically paid per flight hour, but are pretty much locked in to the same amount of hours per month, which means it basically acts as a salary.

[Innsertnamehere]

My uncle is a retired A/C pilot who flew to Hong Kong from Toronto for years and years. He's done well in life, but I don't think it's $290k/yr well.

My other uncle flies Air Canada Jazz and they live a much more middle-class lifestyle despite his wife being a fairly advanced career accountant. You can earn good money as a pilot in the right position, but far from all of them earn the big bucks.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

My good friend is a pilot for AC and my understanding is that they are technically paid per flight hour, but are pretty much locked in to the same amount of hours per month, which means it basically acts as a salary.

Monthly hours are capped by regulation and in some cases union agreements. Also, they are paid per flight hour, but not for pre-flight and only token payments for being on standby.

What really screws Junior guys too is that bidding for routes each month is based on seniority. And the senior pilots will take all the routes which free up time for other jobs. For example, San Francisco is just far enough from Toronto that a pilot can fly there and back in a day. They do this 2-3 days in a week and they are maxed out and off selling real estate or whatever. The junior guy has to work Toronto-Ottawa for 4-5 days/week to max out their weekly and monthly limits.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

My uncle is a retired A/C pilot who flew to Hong Kong from Toronto for years and years. He's done well in life, but I don't think it's $290k/yr well.

My other uncle flies Air Canada Jazz and they live a much more middle-class lifestyle despite his wife being a fairly advanced career accountant. You can earn good money as a pilot in the right position, but far from all of them earn the big bucks.

Saying someone can make $300k as a pilot is a lot like saying you can make millions playing hockey. How many hockey players actually make it to the NHL? Same deal. How many pilots make it to the left seat of a heavy airliner?

And it costs six figures just to get trained to start the career where you're then at a regional making the equivalent of minimum wage. There's a reason flight school enrollments are dropping and there's more shortages of pilots. Though our airlines largely survive on cheap labour by using less experienced crews (high time go to foreign carriers) and with more lax duty rules than Europe and the US.

[MonctonRad]

Canada is getting poorer when compared to its wealthy peers, data shows
Tepid economic growth, combined with a population boom, has hit Canada’s standing among rich countries
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: Sep 12, 2024 5:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/can...rich-1.7318989

Even the CBC is beginning to notice!!!

The Justinian death spiral of the country continues.

Aaaand the budget will balance itself..........

Justinian economics 101.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Canada is getting poorer when compared to its wealthy peers, data shows
Tepid economic growth, combined with a population boom, has hit Canada’s standing among rich countries
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: Sep 12, 2024 5:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/can...rich-1.7318989

Even the CBC is beginning to notice!!!

The Justinian death spiral of the country continues.

Aaaand the budget will balance itself..........

Justinian economics 101.

Did you read the article? It goes beyond your political spin. It's actually a solid article on the productivity crisis in this country. And several of these problems go well beyond this government or the last one:

Beaudry said Canada has a weak corporate culture where competition is virtually non-existent in some critical sectors and big firms spend less on technology and upgrading workers' skills — two things that can boost productivity and national wealth.

Schembri said Canada is also beset by longstanding interprovincial trade barriers — a tangle of regulatory red tape that premiers talk a lot about but do little to fix.

It's unfortunate they didn't discuss the national fixation on real estate that locks in so much unproductive capital in this country. There's no country in the world with a real estate bubble that has surging productivity.