Politics in 2018

[a_majoor]

I think your home ownership is going to take a serious nosedive.  The new rules and outrageous home prices in numerous markets are going to close out many a new home buyer.  My co-workers whom are from Esquimalt have been discussing the present state there.  It doesn't look good.  And to add insult to injury, the vacancy rate is pretty well zero.  Even if you could afford the rent.

Part of the problem is induced by interference in the markets by government. I sat in a London City council meeting where they referenced the Ontario Government's plan of "up and in" (paraphrase, but the Ontario Liberals have operated for several years encouraging cities to build high rises in the core rather than suburbs). This was actually in reference to an issue involving a shared water treatment resource, several councillors were indignant that the small centre outside London might build another 200 units and attract buyers looking for houses rather than living in the city. And development permits are being squeezed since the amount of subdivisions being allowed has drastically declined. Fewer houses artificially increases demand and prices of the remaining ones.

Sadly, this situation might continue for decades until the Boomers die off and the number of new buyers is lower than the number of existing houses and units.

 

[FJAG]

Part of the problem is induced by interference in the markets by government. I sat in a London City council meeting where they referenced the Ontario Government's plan of "up and in" (paraphrase, but the Ontario Liberals have operated for several years encouraging cities to build high rises in the core rather than suburbs). This was actually in reference to an issue involving a shared water treatment resource, several councillors were indignant that the small centre outside London might build another 200 units and attract buyers looking for houses rather than living in the city. And development permits are being squeezed since the amount of subdivisions being allowed has drastically declined. Fewer houses artificially increases demand and prices of the remaining ones.

Sadly, this situation might continue for decades until the Boomers die off and the number of new buyers is lower than the number of existing houses and units.

Just when you figure out what's going on they change the rules on you.

"City taking bloom off highrise boom?"

http://www.lfpress.com/2018/01/26/city-taking-bloom-off-highrise-boom

:cheers:

 

[mariomike]

The current Canadian unemployment rate is 5.7%.  We have not seen a rate this low in almost 45 years.

I saw this,

"Employment gains were concentrated in part-time work"
https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/unemployment-rate
Canada Unemployment Rate  1966-2018

I do not know the statistics - so, I could be wrong - but it seemed to me it was more common 45 years ago to join an employer full-time immediately after graduation. And stay there for your whole career.

 

[Piece of Cake]

I saw this,

"Employment gains were concentrated in part-time work"
https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/unemployment-rate
Canada Unemployment Rate  1966-2018

I do not know the statistics - so, I could be wrong - but it seemed to me it was more common 45 years ago to join an employer full-time immediately after graduation. And stay there for your whole career.

For full disclosure here is the whole article.

The unemployment rate in Canada fell to 5.7 percent in December of 2017 from 5.9 percent in November and well below market consensus of 6 percent. It is the lowest jobless rate since comparable data became available in January 1976, as the economy added 79,000 jobs. Employment gains were concentrated in part-time work (54.9 thousand) while 23.7 thousand full-time jobs were added. Unemployment Rate in Canada averaged 7.68 percent from 1966 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 13.10 percent in December of 1982 and a record low of 2.90 percent in June of 1966.

 

[a_majoor]

Just when you figure out what's going on they change the rules on you.

"City taking bloom off highrise boom?"

http://www.lfpress.com/2018/01/26/city-taking-bloom-off-highrise-boom

:cheers:

This city council is giving us whiplash. I can only hope for the best when voters go to the polls this fall, but am expecting the worst.....

 

[pbi]

There are so many good points posted above that if I did "Quotes" it would be three pages long.  Some of them certainly made me think about my own position. So I have tried to rationalize my thoughts:

-I'm not a Luddite. I benefit from technology as much as any other middle class Canadian. I get it that technology marches on and that industry and business are driven primarily by the profit motive,. Roger so far;

-I also understand that there is evidence that in some cases robotics can increase  the number of people who have jobs at that particular company. I have a person in my family circle who has been directly involved in such a case;

-what I worry about is the impact on tens if not hundreds of thousands of working Canadians who must, for a number of reasons, make their living and feed their families doing what we may dismiss as "Mcjobs", or service jobs. These are the people whose jobs are the low-hanging fruit for robotic or digital replacement and who are, I think, least equipped to adapt. Given the likely pace of any change that is driven by maximization of profit, what happens to them?; and

-is anybody thinking seriously about the impacts on real people and the communities they live in? Or is it just "All Hail Technology"? (Ok now I do sound like a Luddite)

 

[mariomike]

Ontario isn't the only province with a PC leader going down in flames today. 

Saw this on CPtwenty-Ford at noon.

Doug ( Ford Nation ) to the rescue.
https://twitter.com/CP24/status/958023955041931264

January 28, 2018

Ontario PC Party president Rick Dykstra resigns after sexual assault accusation
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/ontario-pc-party-president-rick-dykstra-resigns-after-sexual-assault-accusation/

 

[SeaKingTacco]

This is a train wreck.

Wynne has got to be the luckiest politician in Canada.

She and the OLP can run Ontario intothe dirt and she will still get re-elected.

 

[Altair]

This is a train wreck.

Wynne has got to be the luckiest politician in Canada.

She and the OLP can run Ontario intothe dirt and she will still get re-elected.

that says more about the Ontario PCs and NDP than it does about the liberals.

I still think mulrooney beats wynne though. Whether mulrooney can win the leadership is another question

 

[jollyjacktar]

that says more about the Ontario PCs and NDP than it does about the liberals.

I still think mulrooney beats wynne though. Whether mulrooney can win the leadership is another question

Then perhaps she could move over Federally and take out Trudeau once Scheer thunders in like a lawn dart.

 

[brihard]

Then perhaps she could move over Federally and take out Trudeau once Scheer thunders in like a lawn dart.

She could emerge as a player. My money is still on McKay reappearing.

And Ford for Ontario PC? Ugh, no. The PCs bloody well better be able to do better than that.

 

[mariomike]

And Ford for Ontario PC?

A rich man's son slamming the elites to announce a Conservative leadership run from Mom’s basement.

Last week he was running for Mayor of Toronto ( again ). This week he wants to be Premier.

 

[Underway]

There are rumblings in the Ontario PC party to just let Wynn win the election.  This is because of a belief in a turn in economic fortunes (between housing increases, NAFTA issues, US tax reductions etc...), and thus it might be better to be the party to come in a clean up the mess then inherit the mess and pay the piper for someone else's mistakes.  Wish I could find the article I read that in.... sorry no ref.

 

[pbi]

QUOTE

A rich man's son slamming the elites to announce a Conservative leadership run from Mom’s basement.

Last week he was running for Mayor of Toronto ( again ). This week he wants to be Premier.

My sentiments exactly. I don't know why principled, rational conservatism has this terrible tendency to drift into the swamp of bumper-sticker populism instead of holding some kind of high ground. It should not be hard to defeat the Liberals without pitch fork waving and acting like a 19 year old at a tailgate party.

 

[dapaterson]

On the plus side, with legalization looming, at least with Doug Ford at the helm we could be reasonably certain that the LCBO will turn a profit on weed...

 

[Jarnhamar]

Speaking of the LCBO, I'm starting to dig the Liberals style.

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/400-bottles-of-wine-on-the-plane-federal-politicians-have-access-to-limitless-alcohol-on-government-flights

During Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s week-long official trip to China last December, more than $2,200 worth of alcohol — 121 bottles of wine and 241 cans of beer — was consumed on flights. That amount translates to about two bottles of wine and four cans of beer for each of the roughly 56 passengers for the flights to and from China.

If they carried whiskey I'd consider signing up.

 

[Good2Golf]

Speaking of the LCBO, I'm starting to dig the Liberals style.

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/400-bottles-of-wine-on-the-plane-federal-politicians-have-access-to-limitless-alcohol-on-government-flights

If they carried whiskey I'd consider signing up.

TFTFY....

 

[Rifleman62]

I believe the accompanying media was responsible for most of the consumption considering the haze that envelops most of their reporting of the PM and socks. Either a cunning plan by the LPC or the media living up to it's reputation.

 

[ModlrMike]

Looks like my prediction is partially correct... Caroline Mulroney and Christine Elliott have announced their intentions to run for leadership of the Ontario PCs. I have to admit that if I were forced to choose I wouldn't know which way to turn. I might give the edge to Ms Elliott, given her experience. So, as of now we have:

Christine Elliott
Caroline Mulroney
Doug Ford

 

[ModlrMike]

I believe the accompanying media was responsible for most of the consumption considering the haze that envelops most of their reporting of the PM and socks. Either a cunning plan by the LPC or the media living up to it's reputation.

Both groups need to be careful. I'm not convinced there's a sufficient amount of surplus brain cells in either one.