Election 2015

[a_majoor]

This might go in various economic threads, but since the NDP has raised the issue, so to speak, this is a good place to post. No political parties that I have seen so far seem to be looking at the implications of how the economy is changing (the "gig" economy, sharing services like Uber, Air BnB, self driving cars  and enhanced small scale automation systems), and proposed "solutions" to economic porblems like enhancing minimum wages or CPP/ORPP impose extra costs which will be dealt with somehow...
(Before anyone goes on about how the NDP proposal is for federally regulated sectors, remember this is also a strongly worded "suggestion" to the rest of the economy, as well as entryism [If the NDP wins and impliments the proposal, they can certainly expand into other areas]) Be careful what you wish for:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/08/17/minimum-wage-spurs-restaurants-to-automate/

Minimum Wage Spurs Restaurants to Automate?

The political successes of the $15 dollar minimum wage movement may be intensifying the interest restaurant chains have in automating their businesses. The Washington Post reports on the buzz about turning more restaurant work over to robots:

Dave Brewer is chief operating officer with Middleby Corp., which owns dozens of kitchen equipment brands, and is constantly developing new ways to optimize performance and minimize cost.
“The miracle is, the wage increase is driving the interest,” Brewer said. “But the innovation and the automation, they’re going after it even before the wages go up. Why wait?”

The labor-saving technology that has so far been rolled out most extensively — kiosk and ­tablet-based ordering — could be used to replace cashiers and the part of the wait staff’s job that involves taking orders and bringing checks. Olive Garden said earlier this year that it would roll out the Ziosk system at all its restaurants, which means that all a server has to do is bring out the food.

In other words, the unprecedented push for a $15 minimum wage, which is winning over city councils and wage boards on both coasts, might begin to cost fast-food workers their jobs even before anyone even gets a raise. The trend toward automation would take place even without minimum wage hikes, but the Post piece suggests that the $15 minimum movement could accelerate the process.
As we’ve said before, you cannot defy the laws of economic gravity; if labor becomes very costly, employers will do their best to cut back. Thanks to the rapid advance of technology, they have more, and more sophisticated, options than ever before.

And Instapundit sums it up well as usual:

Remember, the campaign to raise the minimum wage isn’t being pushed for the benefit of the working class. It’s being pushed for the benefit of the political class.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

This might go in various economic threads, but since the NDP has raised the issue, so to speak, this is a good place to post. No political parties that I have seen so far seem to be looking at the implications of how the economy is changing (the "gig" economy, sharing services like Uber, Air BnB, self driving cars  and enhanced small scale automation systems), and proposed "solutions" to economic porblems like enhancing minimum wages or CPP/ORPP impose extra costs which will be dealt with somehow...
(Before anyone goes on about how the NDP proposal is for federally regulated sectors, remember this is also a strongly worded "suggestion" to the rest of the economy, as well as entryism [If the NDP wins and impliments the proposal, they can certainly expand into other areas]) Be careful what you wish for:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/08/17/minimum-wage-spurs-restaurants-to-automate/

And Instapundit sums it up well as usual:

What's old is new again. How many remember these?

 

[YZT580]

This has happened before and it has never been advantageous for the actual person in the position.  There used to be a thriving clothing industry in Toronto until it was forced to relocate off-shore because of a government attempt to regulate and improve the lot of the workers.  There was room at the time for compromise and balancing the two sides but the one size fits all approach taken by the government of the day ensured that all the workers would receive no pay at all. 

 

[Jed]

This has happened before and it has never been advantageous for the actual person in the position.  There used to be a thriving clothing industry in Toronto until it was forced to relocate off-shore because of a government attempt to regulate and improve the lot of the workers. There was room at the time for compromise and balancing the two sides but the one size fits all approach taken by the government of the day ensured that all the workers would receive no pay at all.

As I told my boy after he discovered there is no Santa Claus and he said with a tear in his eye, "I guess there isn't any Easter Bunny either?"  I replied ' You gotter, kid '  I know, I know, I am a heartless parent.  :-[

 

[Fishbone Jones]

This has happened before and it has never been advantageous for the actual person in the position.  There used to be a thriving clothing industry in Toronto until it was forced to relocate off-shore because of a government attempt to regulate and improve the lot of the workers. There was room at the time for compromise and balancing the two sides but the one size fits all approach taken by the government of the day ensured that all the workers would receive no pay at all.

You mean closed the illegal sweat shops because they wouldn't make WSIB payments, apply modern health & safety standards and employment standards for their workforce. Most of the workers were indentured to 'Snakeheads' anyway and would have never been able to lead a normal life otherwise.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

So instead, because of "globalization", they went to places where they can pay people for one hundred hours a week of work a sum that still leaves them in abject poverty, living in shantytowns made of whatever they find at the garbage dump and still having only one meal a day.

Yeah! Those type of owners were willing to negotiate, sure !!!

 

[Altair]

These are the same employers who tried to fill all the restaurant spots with TFWs anyways until they were told that they wouldn't be allowed to anymore.

What else is new?

 

[Good2Golf]

Has Wynne ever said where the money will be held? Will it be a fund like CPP that the government can't touch? Or is she planning on having it accessible to the government so she can raid it to help pay down Ontario's debt?

Never heard her say, but I think the answer is:

ORPP funds will be held in an assigned operating account, the integrity of which will be respected and only in exceptional cases will any amount be drawn from the ORPP account and only then for purposes that are in the best interests of Ontarians.  Any such amount loaned from the ORPP account shall be paid back as the Government of Ontario deems appropraite.

 

[YZT580]

Ah how the righteously indignant scream.  For those of us whose families depended upon those sweatshop earnings it resulted in immediate poverty and hunger unless the worker was able to nab a slot in one of the few that remained. i.e  Tip Top Taylors.  People speak of bettering the lot of the worker and improving his dignity but they never contribute to the cost of a loaf of bread and believe me, when you are hungry, half a loaf is better than none. 

 

[cavalryman]

Never heard her say, but I think the answer is:

ORPP funds will be held in an assigned operating account, the integrity of which will be respected and only in exceptional cases will any amount be drawn from the ORPP account and only then for purposes that are in the best interests of Ontarians.  Any such amount loaned from the ORPP account shall be paid back as the Government of Ontario deems appropraite.

In other words, a slush fund to buy votes, not a proper pension fund as per the applicable pension benefits legislation.  I still can't understand the sheer gullibility of the Ontarian voter.  :facepalm:

 

[Edward Campbell]

And here is yet more polling "noise," this time from ABACUS Data:

We have two months to go ... the trend-lines above are in (mostly) monthly blocks from Aug '14 to Aug '15. There is still room for even the Liberals and NDP to reverse positions: a 10 point shift in each case could happen.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Ah how the righteously indignant scream.  For those of us whose families depended upon those sweatshop earnings it resulted in immediate poverty and hunger unless the worker was able to nab a slot in one of the few that remained. i.e  Tip Top Taylors.  People speak of bettering the lot of the worker and improving his dignity but they never contribute to the cost of a loaf of bread and believe me, when you are hungry, half a loaf is better than none.

In other words you'd prefer the same conditions that led to the 2013 Savar building collapse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Savar_building_collapse  and similar?

I'm not righteously indignant, I'm the Ontario government official that deals daily with employers that try scam the system, endanger workers and ensure workers are treated properly according to the laws of our land. I don't give a flying fig how things are done elsewhere. When you're in Ontario, you follow our laws.

You want dangerous, unsupervised sweat shops, where workers are forced to give substantial amounts of their pay to gangsters to stay employed, work in dangerous conditions, have children working instead of going to school? Go to the third world and ply your trade. Do it here and get caught, expect substantial fines and jail.

Our country is civilized.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Each day the Duffy trial drags on, it seems to get uglier for the CPC.  I do wonder how much this will have an effect on voters come the 19th.  It seems as if the PM couldn't have called the election at a worse time, timing wise that is.

 

[Scott]

The outburst by their supporters today, directed at the media (deserved or not) was anything but shiny. This and some of their choices when it comes to staff have me rethinking.

Again.

I know, it wasn't Harper's fault that the lunatics got loose today with microphones turned on, but anyone with a fucking pulse can see that this Duffy shit ain't going away. And rightfully so. Another PR ball kicked into your own goal.

 

[jmt18325]

Calm down guys.  It's the 19th of October we're shooting for, not August.  We've got a world of campaign to go before then.

 

[George Wallace]

The outburst by their supporters today, directed at the media (deserved or not) was anything but shiny. This and some of their choices when it comes to staff have me rethinking.

It is happening on other fronts with the other Partys as well.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/liberal-candidate-in-calgary-under-fire-after-screenshots-of-offensive-tweets-posted-several-years-ago-surface

 

[cupper]

I'm telling you guys, vote Republican. It's the only real choice.  ;D

 

[Harrigan]

Calm down guys.  It's the 19th of October we're shooting for, not August.  We've got a world of campaign to go before then.

....Probably exactly what Paul Martin's team told him in Nov 2005 when the Gomery Commission Phase I Report was released, two months before election day."

Harrigan

 

[George Wallace]

So?  When is Mulcair and the NDP going to pay back all the money they owe?  They make Duffy look like an amateur with their financial mismanagement.  No one seems to care about their financial improprieties.  What gives?
 

 

[jmt18325]

....Probably exactly what Paul Martin's team told him in Nov 2005 when the Gomery Commission Phase I Report was released, two months before election day."

And if this were a scandal of that magnitude, it might be something.  Harper's problem is fatigue.