Making Canada Relevant Again- The Economic Super-Thread

[a_majoor]

While this is a paid advertisement on NBF, it does point out that oil sand extraction technology is still advancing rapidly. I also note the emphasis on "blockchains", the fundamental technology behind Bitcoins and other cryptocurrency. It seem that this technology (essentially distributed ledgers) has far greater utility than I had imagined beyond cryptocurrency transactions and "Bitcoin mining":

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/11/tech-breakthrough-could-transform-the-oil-sector.html#more-139645

Tech Breakthrough Could Transform The Oil Sector
brian wang | November 28, 2017 | 

As Saudi Arabia spins from crisis to crisis, U.S. oil hasn’t missed a beat. It’s stronger and more resilient than ever– and it has nothing to do with OPEC oil production cuts.

In this war, U.S. oil wins, and the recent purge of billionaire princes in Saudi Arabia is icing on the cake.

But when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman arrested key members of the royal family on corruption charges two weeks ago all of them his rivals– oil shot up. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) spiked more than $2 a barrel, closing around $57 a barrel—a nearly two-year high.

OPEC cuts have done little to boost oil prices, and Royal Family arrests are welcome news for oil tycoons the world over, but it’s still not what’s kept the U.S. on the winning side in this war: Fracking bust the U.S. through the front line, and major advancements in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) are cementing the victory.

This is a sophisticated technology story, and one little-known company might just tell it best because it’s sitting on the first-ever technology which has the ability to produce oil from massively untapped U.S. oil sands plays, with price targets for production at around $22 a barrel.

The company is Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF), and it’s all about American oil for America. But it’s not just about market-defying prices … It’s about a tech breakthrough that renders dirty oil sands production process clean—for the first time.

NOTE: This is a sponsored post

And Petroteq isn’t aiming just to be producing cheaper oil—it intends to license its advanced technology globally, targeting not only the 1 trillion-plus barrels of oil in sands in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, but the tens of trillions everywhere around the world.

Now, with oil prices rising and predictions of future upwards movement, new tech winning the war for North America, and Blockchain potentially transforming every industry on the planet, here are 5 reasons to watch Petroteq (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) very closely:

1) 87 Million Barrels of Oil Equivalent

The State of Utah is home to more than half of all U.S. oil sands deposits, and the Unitah region has been producing oil since the 1950s. It’s got more than 32 billion barrels of oil sands waiting to be extracted from 8 major deposits. It’s also got fantastic infrastructure, with 5 major refiners with truck routes to Salt Lake City, and a royalties set-up that makes great sense for operators.

And it’s right here—in Asphalt Ridge—that Petroteq has 87 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Even better, this is heavy oil-producing oil sands that can be accessed directly from the surface, so
there’s no risk of running into a ‘dry well’.

Better still, costs to produce expected to come in at only $22 a barrel.

With one plant, Petroteq says it’s potential is $10 million a year in profit with $20-$30 per barrel production costs at today’s oil prices.

They acquired Asphalt Ridge for $10 million, and they’ve already proved that they can extract the oil from the sands and the shale. Permits to produce are already in place, and 10,000 barrels were produced in 2015.

Now the modular plant has been moved even closer to oil resources and is being reassembled. New production is scheduled to launch in early 2018, and the goal is 5,000 bpd in 2019 at a cost of production of as low as $18 per barrel. And there’s potential, says Petroteq, to achieve 30,000 bopd with proven reserves.

Demand is expected to be voracious with oil that comes in at a $20 discount to WTI. And that’s just the oil from a single plant: This story gets much bigger if you read on…
The projected netbacks are impressive…

So, while oil sands in Canada are prohibitively expensive to produce in today’s oil-price environment, Petroteq has found a way to produce in Utah for a targeted $22 per barrel.

And it’s doing it in a clean, safe and efficient way with proprietary technology …

2) War-winning Proprietary EOR Tech

Winning the oil war against OPEC, and helping the U.S. to become energy independent is all about technology. And U.S. national interest right now is all about increasing domestic energy sources. This means that technological advances such as Petroteq’s (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) proprietary Liquid Extraction System will become a key focus for developing U.S. oil sands deposits—and not just in Utah.

Petroteq’s already has a significant claim to fame: Its patented oil extraction technology is the first ever to generate sales from Utah’s massive heavy oil resource.

Existing oil sands extraction technologies use tons of water and leave toxic trailing ponds. Petroteq’s system produces oil and leaves behind nothing but clean, dry sand that can be resold as fracking sand or construction sand or simply returned to Mother Nature.

In tests to date, it extracts over 99% of all hydrocarbons in the sand, generates zero greenhouse gases and doesn’t require high temperatures or pressures.

For Utah’s 32 billion barrels this tech is the Holy Grail.

This is how it works:

The end result? The extracted crude oil is free of sand and solvents and then pumped out of the system into a storage tank.

The only other place that has oil sands tech is Canada, and it doesn’t compete. It’s designed for wet oil sands and Petroteq is after the dry oil sands bonanza.

“The wet tech kills the environment,” says Petroteq Chairman and CEO Aleksandr Blyumkin, “but we use green additives that allows the sand to be removed in a very clean manner. No other company has what we have in this space.”

Technology like Petroteq’s can help make American oil for Americans at a time when energy dependence is as important to the national interest as security and diplomacy.

Utah, Colorado and Wyoming represent over 1.2 trillion barrels of oil equivalent in oils sands and shale, and Petroteq is uniquely positioned to use its proprietary tech to tap into this resource and contribute to the U.S. energy independence equation in a significant way.

3) 3 Major Upside Factors That Will Surprise You

Oil sands has long been sidelined because it’s dirty. So, proprietary technology that can extract oil sands without leaving behind toxic trailing ponds is highly sought after.

This is far from a simple story about another small-cap oil producer. Petroteq’s technology could generate millions in licensing fees around the world, and it is eyeing the opportunity to file patents in all countries with oil sands reserves.

This technology is aimed to be deployed to cleanly unlock oil resources representing hundreds of millions of barrels of oil around the world. Licensing is a revenue stream that can flow to Petroteq (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) with no associated capital expenditure.

Worldwide, the licensing opportunities are vast, with over 12 countries home to major oil sands deposits.

Fortunes can be built on licensing fees, and Petroteq could have this segment cornered.

There’s even more upside beyond global licensing: Petroteq’s technology can be used for remediation, cleaning the tailing ponds created by traditional extraction methods for oil sands.

And the third area of upside is the most surprising because it brings Petroteq into one of the hottest sectors in centuries: blockchain technology, the backbone of cryptocurrency.

Even supermajors BP, Shell and Statoil are getting into blockchain because it’s what computers were three decades ago and it could make oil and gas trading a lot easier. Their goal? To create a secure, real-time blockchain-based digital platform for physical energy transactions from start to finish. No more paper contracts, automatic authentication and verification, and – the death of the middle man. It promises to reduce costs for the industry, vastly improve the quality of data and bolster security—all the while, speeding things up exponentially.

Every single industry the world over will likely switch to blockchain because it’s efficient; it’s transparent; and it creates savings.

Petroteq is in the process of signing an agreement with First Bitcoin Capital, which specializes in crypto currency and blockchain development. The visionary small-cap will be licensing the blockchain built by IBM and will use this to make it industry-specific, giving the entire spectrum of oil—from upstream to downstream—access to massive data.

Once the product is finished in about six months, the intention is that there will be a free open source blockchain for massive oil data, including everything from how much oil someone bought to how much they paid and how long it took to deliver, where it was drilled, how it was refined—absolutely everything.

This is where the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes the Energy of Things. The trading houses will hate it, but no one owns blockchain, and Petroteq sees the opportunity to make massive data work for the entire industry.

Petroteq’s masterminds have already been busy courting major energy players on multiple continents to get involved.

Bitcoin might be worth over $9,000 per coin, but the real cryptocurrency is data—and this could be a gold mine for the energy industry.

4) Skin in the Game Expert Management Team

This management team is savvy and forward-thinking. That’s why it sees the opportunity not only in producing the first clean oil sands, but also in licensing its proprietary tech worldwide, and embracing the even bigger picture—blockchain.

Petroteq (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) is hoping to position itself as a sort of “Google” of the energy industry, with its no-holds- barred focus on technology. They aren’t looking 10 years into the future, they are looking into right now.

This is where some of the brightest minds in extraction tech, chemistry, and blockchain come together to form a dream team with extraordinary vision.

The Chairman and CEO of Petroteq, Aleksandr Blyumkin, has championed this Company and technology with millions of dollars, including an interest-free loan to expand the production capability at its Temple Mountain facility in Utah.

Founder and CTO Dr. Vladimir Podlipskiy is a 23-year veteran in chemistry, R and D and manufacturing, and a chemical scientist from UCLA. He’s the oil extraction tech genius with a line-up of patents for everything from oil extraction and mold remediation to fuel reformulators.

President Dr. R. Gerald Bailey is a former Exxon president of Arabian Gulf operations, Dr. R Gerald Bailey. He believes in the technology and the company’s ability to not only turn a profit, but protect the environment while doing so. He’s got more than 50 years of international experience at all spots along the oil and gas chain behind him, including as operations manager of Qatar General Petroleum Corp., Exxon Lago Oil in Aruba and Esso Standard Libya.

Chief Geologist Donald Clark, PhD, a widely published geologist and consultant, is the blockchain tech genius in this group, responsible for providing input to financial models, analyzing commodity price fluctuations and handling operational and transportation costs of oil and natural gas. And the team supporting them will be working towards licensing-Petroteq’s technology in as many countries as they can.

By February 2018, when production is expected to resume from the relocation of their modular facility, Petroteq may be in the spotlight for many investors. And in the meantime, heavy oil demand looks promising, oil prices are for the first time in years on a trending upswing and blockchain, well, that’s simply changing the way business is done.

5) Prices on the Rise, Heavy Oil Demand Shifting Up

Now could be a good time to get back into oil because they’re calling the bottom and the market is in an upswing.

And prices could be kept higher by military action in the Middle East, the Kurdish independence drive and the specter of more U.S. sanctions on Iran, says Barrons. And Goldman Sach’s says near-term sentiment should remain bullish.

It’s a good time for heavy oil, too. Billions of dollars will be deployed to rebuild U.S. infrastructure and it requires exactly the kind of heavy oil that Petroteq (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) is scheduled to start producing again in February, 2018.

U.S. production growth has focused on light oil, and heavy oil is in strong demand, particularly on the Gulf Coast, where the billions of dollars put into heavy oil refineries means it needs a lot of oil to feed them.

Heavy oil traditionally trades at a discount, but as demand rises, the discount is disappearing.

This is a story of extracting $22 oil… in a $55-barrel world. Or, maybe even a $70-barrel world by next year.

This company breaks down everything and makes a much bigger picture out of the smaller pieces.

 Its technology breaks down oil sand extraction in a clean, low-cost, efficient closed-loop process.
 The clean sand has an upside of potential re-sale for fracking or construction.
 The proprietary tech itself can be used for cleaning up other oil sands messes around the world.
 And it will be licensed globally for major revenue potential from the Americas to Africa, and everywhere in between.
 It could all come together with the energy blockchain, harnessing the power of massive, transparent data for every stop in the oil and gas chain.

While Saudi billionaires are languishing in prison, Petroteq’s (TSXQE.V; OTCQXQEFF) innovative dream team is taking the re-emerging oil bull market by the horns, and riding the biggest digital wave of our time—blockchain. This is where energy and technology come together definitively, and one they piece it all together, it could be a very large force in a small-cap world.

 

[a_majoor]

An interesting article in today's NP by Andrew Coyne, pointing out some very serious long term weakness in Canada's economic foundations. High taxes, energy prices and barriers to investment by both the Federal and Provincial governments are starving Canadian business of investment capital, and the government has been less than  stellar in handling free trade or increasing trade with the US, China or the TPP. Fun article here: http://nationalpost.com/opinion/andrew-coyne-an-attractive-place-to-invest-are-you-serious-prime-minister

The conclusions are very sobering.

 

[NavyShooter]

2008 crash...here we come?

 

[Rifleman62]

http://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/justin-trudeau-to-push-middle-class-interests-as-he-heads-to-davos

Justin Trudeau to push middle class interests as he heads to Davos - 21 Jan 18


Sure, the middle class. As if he knows anything about the middle class.

See  Thucydides post above. Canada open for business? BS.


https://globalnews.ca/news/3979253/justin-trudeau-davos-world-economic-forum/

What happens at Davos and why is Justin Trudeau going? - 22 Jan 18

Extract: The author of the internationally bestselling book The Black Swan describes the World Economic Forum at Davos as follows.

The invite-only event in the Swiss Alps, said Nassim N. Taleb in 2011, is about “chasing successful people who want to be seen with other successful people. That’s the game.” Selfie heaven.

Canada's expenditure for approx. 4 days of swaning : On top of the $622,000 for five tickets, are the costs of accommodations, security, food, booze and transport, and the retinue of staff tagging along for the ride.


If you don't like the Fraser Institute, please post a rebuttal study.

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/effect-on-canadian-families-of-changes-to-federal-income-tax-and-cpp-payroll-tax


The Effect on Canadian Families of Changes to Federal Income Tax and CPP Payroll Tax - 11 Jan 18

Summary

Since coming into office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has repeatedly claimed to have reduced taxes for middle class Canadian families—a claim based solely on the federal government’s reduction to the second lowest personal income tax rate from 22 to 20.5 percent. However, a recent study found that when all the Trudeau government’s major changes to the personal income tax system are properly accounted for (including the elimina­tion of income splitting and other tax credits), income taxes have been raised, not lowered, on the vast majority (81 percent) of middle income Canadian families.

In addition to enacting changes to the personal income tax system, the federal gov­ernment has also announced other significant tax changes that will take effect in the com­ing years. For instance, payroll taxes will be increased to fund an expansion of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), with the first increase tak­ing place in January 2019. The dramatic in­crease in the CPP payroll tax, which was a joint venture with the provinces but initiated largely by the federal government, will be fully imple­mented in 2025. This raises the prospect of even more middle income families in Canada paying higher taxes beyond what the changes to the federal income tax system would alone indicate.

This report measures the impact of the fed­eral government’s personal income tax chang­es and the fully implemented CPP payroll tax increase on the amount of taxes that Canadian families will pay. (A family is defined as a parent or parents with a child or children under age 18.) It finds that once fully implemented, virtually all (98.8 percent) of middle income Canadian fami­lies with children (with incomes ranging from $77,839 to $110,201) will pay higher taxes. And they will pay, on average, $2,260 more tax each year.

In fact, when looking at all 2.988 million families with children in Canada (excluding those in Quebec), 2.756 million, or 92.2 percent, will pay higher taxes—$2,218 more, on average, each year. Indeed, once the increase in CPP pay­roll taxes is fully implemented, nearly all Cana­dian families—regardless of where they stand in the income distribution—will pay higher taxes.

 

[YZT580]

No one can say they weren't warned.  For those who supported the liberal party, as you write your cheque to the exchequer this coming March, ask yourself one simple question: 'was anyone but Harper' worth 2000 dollars?

 

[Altair]

No one can say they weren't warned.  For those who supported the liberal party, as you write your cheque to the exchequer this coming March, ask yourself one simple question: 'was anyone but Harper' worth 2000 dollars?

I get 6000 dollars from the government every year from the CCB, ,  so net profit for me.

I'm guessing the fraser institute didn't factor that in.

An interesting article in today's NP by Andrew Coyne, pointing out some very serious long term weakness in Canada's economic foundations. High taxes, energy prices and barriers to investment by both the Federal and Provincial governments are starving Canadian business of investment capital, and the government has been less than  stellar in handling free trade or increasing trade with the US, China or the TPP. Fun article here: http://nationalpost.com/opinion/andrew-coyne-an-attractive-place-to-invest-are-you-serious-prime-minister

The conclusions are very sobering.

Also,  TPP is a go.

 

[YZT580]

You are one of the lucky few.  My hit is 1400.

 

[pbi]

I'm one of those people who voted for this Govt. I did it after a lifetime of voting Tory (and years of serving under both parties), and the decision was not an easy one.  I had two primary reasons:

-IMHO all Canadian governments begin to go stale, and then start rotting in their second term. It may be due to inherent failures in our system, but I'm not sure.This rot is characterized by arrogance, secrecy, duplicity and, too often, evidence of petty corruption. I felt that the Tories were beginning to get stinky on all counts; and

-Despite the fact that Harper was himself quite a pragmatic and moderate politician, I sensed that the party was drifting rightward at a steady pace. I don't like "The Right" anymore than I like "The Left". People who choose to define their understanding of the world through bumper-sticker thinking are irritating and possibly dangerous. The Tories, I thought (and particularly during their internal leadership campaign) were beginning to show increasing signs of a tilt towards a brand of social conservatism that I don't like and don't want.

I had some nascent misgivings about our PM, but I decided to cast my vote for the Liberals. Since that day, I have become increasingly disillusioned with him, and with some of the hideously bad ideas and policies which they have come up with. I'm sure some members are smirking and saying "Dumbass..told ya so!", but maybe that assumes I didn't think about my choice.

I'm particularly concerned by two issues: what appears to be a terrible mishandling of our NAFTA approach to the US; and this recent business about funding for summer jobs programs. On the first, while I believe we have every right (and duty) to stand up to Trump and his gang of Nativists/Isolationists and not give in to US bully tactics, the Govt must remember that we are a trading nation, primarily with the US. If that gets arsed up, many Canadians will suffer (even ones who think they hate Free Trade). I'm not confident here, at all.

On the second one, the Govt is doing something on ideological lines which, if the Tories were to have done it, the Liberals would have screamed the House down. It is setting a terrible and dangerous precedent. Govt funding may be susceptible to party politics in any nation, but I find this policy to be very short sighted. Don't get me wrong: I'm the farthest thing from a religious fundamentalist, and I am still somewhat ambivalent about abortions, but to deny funding on the grounds the Govt has laid down is wrong. It may bite them quite badly, especially amongst the considerable Catholic part of their constituency.

I will try to keep an open mind, but the way things are going if the Tories sort themselves out and can become more like the good old "Red Tories" of PCP days, and able to avoid the temptation of courting extreme social conservatives, they will probably get my vote next time around. Damn, I even thought that Kellie Leitch made a bit of sense, now and then

 

[a_majoor]

While companies can spin it in many different ways, the end result is they move to where their ROI is greater:

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/01/24/Campbell-Soup-to-close-Toronto-plant-move-production-to-US/4881516853596/

Campbell Soup to close Toronto plant, move production to U.S.
By Ray Downs  |  Jan. 24, 2018 at 11:35 PM

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The Campbell Soup Company announced Wednesday that it will shut down its Toronto plant and move operations to its three U.S. factories.

The move will result in nearly 400 lost manufacturing jobs at the plant, which has been in operation since 1931. The Toronto plant will be closed in phases over the next 18 months and production moved to Maxton, N.C.; Napolean, Ohio; and Paris, Texas.

Mark Alexander, the president of Americas Simple Meals and Beverages, Campbell's parent company, said the closing was "a difficult one" that was "the best course of action for our business."

"We are operating in an increasingly challenging environment as our industry's consumer and retail landscapes continue to change dramatically," he said in a statement.

Ana Dominguez, president of Campbell's operations in Canada, told the Toronto Star that one reason for the closing is the company has too much soup and not enough customers.

"Simply put, we are in a situation where we can produce a lot more soup than we can sell," she said.

With slow soup sales, the amount of jobs created in the three U.S. factories will be "minimal," company spokesman Thomas Hushen told Bloomberg.

Toronto City Councillor said the plant closing is "devastating news for our community.

"Campbell's has employed generations of residents in Etobicoke-Lakeshore," Grimes said in a statement. "I personally have many close, personal friends who work at this facility. I am truly saddened to hear this news, and want to extend my sympathies to all the employees and families that will be affected by this closure."

 

[a_majoor]

The Prime Minister's reactions to US tax cuts and how to remain competitive given the rapidly changing economic environment south of our border is.....curious. The National Post article discusses his speech at Davros and some analysis by Jack Mintz, a tax expert from the University of Calgary. The prognosis is not good (especially when you also consider the US is kicking off gigantic production gains with high quality shale oil, which is very "sweet" and easy to process, putting our already hamstrung oil industry at risk as well).

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/john-ivison-trudeaus-davos-man-message-cant-hold-back-the-flow-of-capital-from-private-corporations

 

[Rifleman62]

Campbell Soup to close Toronto plant, move production to U.S.

Joining:

1.  Kellogg's London officially ends cereal production 23 Dec 14, - 500 jobs. All Kellogg products sold in Canada are from the USA, except Mini-Wheats cereal plant in Belleville, Ont

2.  Heinz ceased operations in Leamington in June 14. -1000 jobs.

3. Kraft Foods,  St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. 2015  - 214 jobs.


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/kellogg-to-close-london-ont-plant-next-year/article15840106/

The province (Ontario) has shed more than 33,000 jobs in the factory sector in the past 12 months (2013)

 

[Altair]

Joining:

1.  Kellogg's London officially ends cereal production 23 Dec 14, - 500 jobs. All Kellogg products sold in Canada are from the USA, except Mini-Wheats cereal plant in Belleville, Ont

2.  Heinz ceased operations in Leamington in June 14. -1000 jobs.

3. Kraft Foods,  St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. 2015  - 214 jobs.


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/kellogg-to-close-london-ont-plant-next-year/article15840106/

The province (Ontario) has shed more than 33,000 jobs in the factory sector in the past 12 months (2013)

Wouldn't worry too much about ontario.

It simply appears that the economy is adjusting to a post auto industry

https://globalnews.ca/news/3949024/canada-unemployment-rates-breakdown-by-province/

Ontario experienced a small decrease in unemployment by approximately 0.9 percentage points, to 5.5 per cent. However, Ontario saw an increase of employment rates by almost three per cent in 2017, which is more than double the province’s growth rate in each of the previous two years, with an additional 176,000 people employed by year end.

The primary industries that saw increases include wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical services, and transportation and warehousing.

It's better to look at the big picture here.

Quebec and BC are also doing pretty well.

 

[Good2Golf]

Wouldn't worry too much about ontario.

It simply appears that the economy is adjusting to a post auto industry

https://globalnews.ca/news/3949024/canada-unemployment-rates-breakdown-by-province/

It's better to look at the big picture here.

Quebec and BC are also doing pretty well.

Since those jobs didn't go anywhere else in Canada, Canada also lost the jobs, so it should concern you...and other Canadians.  Notwithstanding Ontario being turned into a "Have-Not" province by the cumulative effect of 'befuddled' provincial governmental policies, particularly as related to exponentially rising consumer and producer costs (Wynnelectricity, etc.), loss of jobs out of Ontario (and Canada) will make it "Have-Notter" and reduce Canada's GDP, neither are good things, n'est-ce pas?

Regards
G2G

 

[a_majoor]

Worrying about Ontario may be like worrying about the band's playlist on the Titanic. Jack Mintz has a fuller explanation of how US Tax cuts will affect Canada, and what actually needs to be done. The full article will be posted in the long articles section:

http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/jack-mintz-if-trudeau-ever-accepts-reality-heres-how-he-can-save-canadas-competitiveness

https://army.ca/forums/threads/127262.0.html

 

[pbi]

The Prime Minister's reactions to US tax cuts and how to remain competitive given the rapidly changing economic environment south of our border is.....curious. The National Post article discusses his speech at Davros and some analysis by Jack Mintz, a tax expert from the University of Calgary. The prognosis is not good (especially when you also consider the US is kicking off gigantic production gains with high quality shale oil, which is very "sweet" and easy to process, putting our already hamstrung oil industry at risk as well).

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/john-ivison-trudeaus-davos-man-message-cant-hold-back-the-flow-of-capital-from-private-corporations

I'm not really sure he has grasped the reality of what is happening. Like I said elsewhere, I was reticent when I voted Liberal, but now I'm worried.  They seem to be at a loss when it comes to the economy. Perhaps he forgets that poor countries usually aren't very socially progressive. It's normally the other way around. They accused the Tories oif ideologically based decision making but I think I'm seeing a bit too much of it just now.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I note that Stats Canada reported today that over 100k part time jobs were lost in Jan 18. If only there was some correlating explanation...  :

 

[Brad Sallows]

Too bad everyone focuses on the number of jobs.  What would be more useful is to know the net compensation gain or loss, since there is not one universal wage / salary.

 

[Piece of Cake]

I note that Stats Canada reported today that over 100k part time jobs were lost in Jan 18. If only there was some correlating explanation...  :

The number 14 comes to mind 

 

[a_majoor]

US tax reform and the general expansion of the US economy is drawing Canadian investment dollars south, to such an extent that the CEO of RBC is urging the government to clamp down on investment outflows. Now I personally think this is counterproductive, since resources should flow to where they can maximize returns and if the Liberals are going to choke Canada's economy, investors need to have a place to go. (It is also counterproductive because idle capital in Canada generates no returns or tax revenues either).

http://www.baystreet.ca/articles/economiccommentary/37709/Cross-Border-Investments-Gathering-Steam-RBC

Cross-Border Investments Gathering Steam: RBC

The man who runs one of Canada's largest banks is urging the Trudeau government to slow the rate investment capital from this country to the United States — because, he warns, it's already leaving in "real time."

RBC CEO Dave McKay discussed some of his biggest concerns about Canadian competitiveness, particularly those related to recent U.S. tax reforms. Ottawa has come under pressure from corporate Canada to respond to a U.S. tax overhaul that's expected to lure business investments south of the border.

McKay tells various media outlets that a "significant" investment exodus to the U.S. is already underway, especially in the energy and clean-technology sectors.

The flight of capital, McKay added, will likely be followed by a loss of talent, which means the next generation of engineers, problem solvers and intellectual property could be created not north of the border, but south of it instead.

"We would certainly encourage the federal government to look at these issues because, in real time, we're seeing capital flow out of the country," McKay said.

Since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada's investment landscape has been dealing with trade nerves related the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

But many point to Trump's recent U.S. tax measures as potentially more dangerous, fearing that dramatic corporate tax cuts in the U.S. will eliminate Canada's advantage.

McKay adds Canada's competitiveness challenges go beyond the high-level, tax-rate changes in the U.S. bill.

For instance, he pointed to another important element he said is encouraging capital to flow out of Canada — a change that enables U.S. companies to immediately write off the full cost of new machinery and equipment.