Author Topic: Government Day-to-Day  (Read 53250 times)

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Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #90 on: January 10, 2020, 11:37:00 am »
how does a CPC leadership candidate balance, 'the base'... and the want/need to be seen as a/the 'broader tent' party? Recent days Abacus survey:


Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #91 on: January 27, 2020, 01:11:07 am »
sweet! Other than Trump and acolytes wanting to push the name, 'USMCA'... the original name, NAFTA, is appearing more frequently in media coverage. Why even one of the key negotiators, Deputy PM Freeland, is now regularly referring to the updated agreement as, NAFTA... or rather, the new NAFTA. Why, I've even begun to read the name appearing as CUSMA in all its 2-syllable glory... with Canada noted first.

with Parliament set to return it appears Jagoff Singh is calling for a rigorous review of the complete agreement! Deputy PM Freeland has other thoughts; as relayed in a letter to party leaders:




Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #92 on: January 27, 2020, 01:01:10 pm »
The BC lumber industry will be interested to know that 99.9% of our exports to the US are tariff free. Considering that softwood lumber accounts for 5% of our exports, is not covered under NAFTA and has been continually assaulted by tariffs. Most recently 20%.

These kind of statements make it even more necessary that this agreement be debated. After all, that is supposed to be the reason we have a parliament in the first place.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline JMT

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #93 on: January 27, 2020, 08:17:20 pm »
The BC lumber industry will be interested to know that 99.9% of our exports to the US are tariff free. Considering that softwood lumber accounts for 5% of our exports, is not covered under NAFTA and has been continually assaulted by tariffs. Most recently 20%.

These kind of statements make it even more necessary that this agreement be debated. After all, that is supposed to be the reason we have a parliament in the first place.

This agreement is pretty much status quo.  It isn't something that parliament can change - they can only reject or accept.  NAFTA has seen Canada's economy quadruple in size over the last 30 years.  We're better off with a status quo agreement than with no agreement, and that's the only alternative.
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Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #94 on: January 27, 2020, 08:46:18 pm »
This agreement is pretty much status quo.  It isn't something that parliament can change - they can only reject or accept.  NAFTA has seen Canada's economy quadruple in size over the last 30 years.  We're better off with a status quo agreement than with no agreement, and that's the only alternative.

Maybe so but there is some disinformation in Freeland's letter. It's a sales pitch.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #95 on: January 28, 2020, 12:40:56 am »
Maybe so but there is some disinformation in Freeland's letter. It's a sales pitch.

you say there's disinformation, but don't qualify. I say your opinion lacks... sumthin! Your move.

Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #96 on: January 28, 2020, 09:00:09 am »
you say there's disinformation, but don't qualify. I say your opinion lacks... sumthin! Your move.

I did. For starters, the statement that 99.9% of our exports to the the US will be tariff free. That is clearly not so. Softwood lumber accounts for 5% of our exports and doesn’t even come under NAFTA. It has been targeted by the Americans for years. When I said the letter is a sales job, it wasn’t intended as a criticism, just stating a fact.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2020, 09:11:15 am by wilber »
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Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #97 on: January 28, 2020, 01:12:48 pm »
I did. For starters, the statement that 99.9% of our exports to the the US will be tariff free. That is clearly not so. Softwood lumber accounts for 5% of our exports and doesn’t even come under NAFTA. It has been targeted by the Americans for years. When I said the letter is a sales job, it wasn’t intended as a criticism, just stating a fact.

"for starters"? You mean there's more... you mean you have... more? You seem to be so flummoxed by this lil' ditty:
Quote
It safeguards more than $2-billion a day in cross-border trade and tariff-free access for 99.9 per cent of our U.S.-bound exports. When the new agreement goes into force, Canada will preserve tariff-free access to our largest trading partner, supporting hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs, now and into the future.

that's a pretty definitive statement - yes? Not much/any(?) wiggle room there, hey! Given how DeputyDogFreeland has been so intricately involved in the actual treaty negotiations, it's hard to fathom she could... would... leave such an opening - so wide... that even member wilber could drive a load of softwood lumber through it - yes?

wait, what? Sept 5, 2019 --- A joint binational NAFTA panel ruled the U.S. must "rethink" imposed tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber - given 3 months to do so. As you say, for starters, any updates here member wilber - any updates?  ;D

by the by, in regards softwood lumber, Canada has leveraged the NAFTA dispute mechanism several times in the past

Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #98 on: January 28, 2020, 01:58:38 pm »
"for starters"? You mean there's more... you mean you have... more? You seem to be so flummoxed by this lil' ditty:
that's a pretty definitive statement - yes? Not much/any(?) wiggle room there, hey! Given how DeputyDogFreeland has been so intricately involved in the actual treaty negotiations, it's hard to fathom she could... would... leave such an opening - so wide... that even member wilber could drive a load of softwood lumber through it - yes?

wait, what? Sept 5, 2019 --- A joint binational NAFTA panel ruled the U.S. must "rethink" imposed tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber - given 3 months to do so. As you say, for starters, any updates here member wilber - any updates?  ;D

by the by, in regards softwood lumber, Canada has leveraged the NAFTA dispute mechanism several times in the past

You are obviously an Easterner. BC has been going through the softwood song and dance for decades. The US imposes a tariff, Canada disputes it and couple of years later wins. In the meantime, US companies make hay at Canada’s expense. A few years later, we go through the same cycle again. We must be on chapter four by now and this will be no different. Dealing with the US Congress is like playing whack a mole.  Also, the US tariffs on dairy are not addressed, we just give up more market share even though we already import more than three times as much dairy from the US as we export.

All this deserves to be debated. Freeland’s letter is a sales job, which is to be expected. She was in charge of negotiating the deal and a good part of her political credibility is staked on it. It is hardly an unbiased assessment and should have to withstand being challenged.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2020, 02:03:45 pm by wilber »
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Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #99 on: January 28, 2020, 02:02:30 pm »
Further more, this agreement is damage control. Who knows if we could have done better but it was definitely not a win for Canada, unless you consider not losing even more a win.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #100 on: January 28, 2020, 04:32:37 pm »
Further more, this agreement is damage control. Who knows if we could have done better but it was definitely not a win for Canada, unless you consider not losing even more a win.

further more, I accept you now realize you weren't current in regards softwood lumber... that your bluster-bus doesn't stand! Your whine over Deputy Prime Minister Freeland's letter being biased is matched bettered by your own unsubstantiated statements (aka your biased opinion).

Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #101 on: January 28, 2020, 04:41:16 pm »
further more, I accept you now realize you weren't current in regards softwood lumber... that your bluster-bus doesn't stand! Your whine over Deputy Prime Minister Freeland's letter being biased is matched bettered by your own unsubstantiated statements (aka your biased opinion).

I am current, I know what is going on and have seen this movie before. In a year or two Congress will cook up another reason to impose tariffs and we will go through this song and dance again.

Of course her letter is biased, it would be astonishing if it wasn't. She has more of a personal stake in getting this thing through parliament than anyone. Anyone else in her position would do the same.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #102 on: January 28, 2020, 05:04:24 pm »
I am current, .....  In a year or two

oh my member wilber, oh my!  ;D

thought you said you had... more?

Offline wilber

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #103 on: January 28, 2020, 05:23:38 pm »
oh my member wilber, oh my!  ;D

thought you said you had... more?

Waldo, you should really look into the history of softwood lumber before you make yourself look like a bigger ass. This **** has been going on since 1982. We have won several times with different dispute mechanisms including the WTO but every time, the US lumber lobby gets Congress to impose further penalties under another pretence. Nothing has changed.

 It getting back to my original point, her claim that 99.9% of trade is tariff free, is clearly misleading, in fact, not true.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2020, 05:29:29 pm by wilber »
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Offline waldo

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Re: Government Day-to-Day
« Reply #104 on: January 28, 2020, 05:39:42 pm »
Waldo, you should really look into the history of softwood lumber before you make yourself look like a bigger ass.

why the attempted insult; why so personal, hey!  ;D C'mon man, again, in regards softwood lumber, that Freeland letter reflects the recent NAFTA panel ruling. Your ride down historical lane doesn't reflect this; i.e., you're not current.

again, thought you had more! Let's see your independent analysis that emboldens you with the following unsubstantiated claim:
Further more, this agreement is damage control. Who knows if we could have done better but it was definitely not a win for Canada, unless you consider not losing even more a win.