by Wendy Holm
This fall, western grain farmers will begin to feel the pinch from the Canadian Wheat Board's loss of single-desk selling authority. This might appear, for example, as a loss of protein and malting premiums. While weather-related market shortages will bouy Canadian prices in the short term, the price effect of the loss of market power will become apparent as markets return to more normal conditions.
by Luke Allnut
The story sounded almost too good to be true. Valery Gergiev, a conductor known as a strong supporter of the Putin regime, interrupted a performance at London's Covent Garden to speak out in favor of the feminist performance artists Pussy Riot:
"The thing is, yesterday Moscow saw another day of hearings in the fabricated case of Pussy Riot…. I apologize for such a vulgar comparison, but the Russian state is acting like a dominant male in a group of monkeys, compelled to show off his sex organs to make the others fear him." The text of Gergiev’s speech went viral.
But in fact, Gergiev never made the speech
by Toby Sanger
Kudos to Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney for raising the profile of the over $500 billion Canadian corporations are holding in excess cash surpluses and not investing in the economy, which recently garnered front page coverage (and kudos to the CAW for inviting him to speak.)
It’s not the first time Carney has raised this concern.
by Samantha Bayard
Unlike other Canadian businesses, co-ops don’t need any help. That’s what Agriculture Minister Gary Ritz said in the House of Commons last May 18: “With some 9,000 co-ops, 18 million members and some net worth of $350 billion or $360 billion, I think co-ops have a great foundation to continue this work on their own.
by Stephen Block
If democracy is a messy business, the Quebec election Tuesday was particularly messy. Three reasons made this day historic:
Although the violent incident threatened to overshadow what was otherwise very big news, the national Canadian media still managed to include a bit of the fear, trepidation, and panic that accompanied an earlier PQ victory. In 1976, when Rene Lévesques was first swept to power, panic ensued. The best advice given was that we should all “take a valium”.
by Verena Menec for EvidenceNetwork.ca
Stories abound in the media about how seniors are going to bankrupt the health care system or how the Canadian pension system will collapse under the burden of a growing senior population.
What we don’t hear in the midst of all of these doomsday stories — which are not based in evidence, and are simply wrong — is how seniors contribute to society.
by Yves Engler
Stephan Harper’s Conservatives have strengthened military, business and diplomatic ties with one of the most misogynistic and repressive countries in the world – facilitating billions of dollars in weapons sales to what is already one of the most heavily equipped militaries on the globe.
by Paul Weinberg
As the last of the UN monitors leave Syria in despair, Toronto partisans of Syrian democracy are struggling to find their own common ground.
The morphing of the 17-month uprising from civil disobedience to civil war hasn’t been easy for those favouring Egyptian — rather than Libyan — style regime change. And that’s put activists on dramatically different pages when it comes to assessing the meaning and consequences of the Free Syrian Army.
by Linda McQuaig
Now that we’ve discarded our garbage workers by the side of the road, I guess we can all feel better.
The lime green private garbage trucks rolling through the western half of the city allow us to send a powerful message to all public sector workers: in these tough economic times, don’t expect to enjoy niceties like job security.
by Armine Yalnizyan
Last May federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said there was no such thing as a bad job. The Law Commission of Ontario may disagree.
