"Policy-Based Evidence Making": How the Liberals Portray Circumstances to Achieve an Ideal (ie, "The Liberal Solution")

Never short on a study, or a scenario the Liberal spin machine is at it again, and this time in full view of the international Davos forum.  Shockingly, with another "damn Canada" type speech to his political and business peers (cronies), The Justin has managed to manufacture an oppressive state of being in the Great White North to the point that such an elected official would not be expected to the leader of said country (Canada) but someone comparable to the likes of Stalin, Hussein, Mussolini, Mugabe, Kim Jong-Un, Castro (oh right, Justin likes him!).  Selected quotes are below.  All of this to portray The Justin as the "feminist saviour" that will lead all gender based discrimination out of the country as he merrily skips and plays his magical flute.

In relation to this article, a simple addendum to the Canadian Business and Corporations Act woud have sufficed, but no.  Bill C-25 is now before the Senate.  While no one should be discriminated against based on being a man, woman or, I have to now use "gender" to capture all, neither should this many resources, time and pay for our legislators be allocated to bring this justice.

As mentioned in the article, this is our Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains initiative and it reminded me, from several past posts, what does an Innovation Minister (@NavdeepSBains) do anyway? No one has been able to tell me.

Hats off to Terence Corcoraon (author) for his coining of the term "policy-based evidence making".  It is bang on for this new Liberal regime.

http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/terence-corcoran-the-dodgy-studies-behind-trudeaus-radical-experiment-to-socially-engineer-canadian-businesses

Select quotes that The Justin has chosen to focus on (whether he believes the "science" or "facts" or Liberal math behind them)...

"Among women who were newly appointed to the boards of Fortune 500 companies, 77 per cent of them were white. Race, religion, sexuality, socioeconomic status — these are just a few of the ways that women are even further discriminated against.”

“Too many corporations have put the pursuit of profit before the wellbeing of their workers. The gap between the rich and the poor is staggering. All the while, companies avoid taxes and boast record profits with one hand, while slashing benefits with the other. But that approach can’t and won’t cut it anymore.”

When quoting McKinsey and Peterson Institute for International Economics reports, "“narrowing the gender gap in Canada would add $150 billion to our economy by 2026” and increasing the number of women in leadership positions from zero to 30 per cent “translates into a 15-per-cent boost in profitability.”

When You Do Not Recieve The Results You Want, Then Change the Rules...And Again

Once again, appeasing and bowing to the climate change "crusaders" and enviro-mental-ists, the Liberals are looking at ways to changing the approval regimes and processes...again.  Even though the Liberals have technically "approved" certain pipelines, they can now wipe their hands clean of all party responsibilty as the approval rules down the road have alrady changed once.

In the name of "stakeholders" and "independence", the Liberals in fact have their fingers all over the pipeline approval processes (and other large infratstructure industries), meanwhile appearing squeaky clean to those who only read the nearest copy of 24 or Metro for their "news" fix (their converted).

Similar to a street busking musician enticing his passers-by with a quick handed game of "where's the peanut", both domestic and foreign investment are left bewildered as to how this country wants to manage, monetize and heaven forbid extract the resources it has been blessed with.

http://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/big-moment-for-energy-sector-as-trudeau-set-to-unveil-sweeping-regulatory-reforms-within-days

Liberal Government Has No Interest in Protecting Canada

While former Prime Minister Harper visited the Canadian Arctic, some say arguably only in a symbolic and stately sense, he and his previous Conservative government had their eye on the prize. Although due to some minority government years, the Conservatives were never able to do what the military needed.  Now Canadians are saddled with billions in federal government debt and not even a valid military to show for it (and from a majority government this time).  And like paying down the deficits, not for a while.

Canada's CF-18s to fly until 2032 as new fighter jets expected to be slowly phased in: http://nationalpost.com/news/canadas-cf-18s-to-fly-until-2032-as-new-fighter-jets-expected-to-be-slowly-phased-in

The Curious Timing of Ontario Conservative Leader's Allegations: As the Media Portrays All Such Stories - Guilty Until Proven Innocent

With i) an upcoming election in the summer, ii) the current Premier's approval rating at a record low for any Ontario Premier, and iii) a particular legal spat (suing for libel) between Patrick and The Kathleen stemming from her time in a Sudbury courtroom in September, 2017 actually testifying (well, giving her accounts of events) in a case that involved her other fellow members of the Ontario Liberal Party and Patrick's subsequent comments ("a sitting premier sitting in trial”), is it not a little curious that these allegations have surfaced...now? 

(Obviously the media have not learned any lessons from a school girl's hijab cutting fib that made the media's and politicians' day for a short while, but as always the media is treating these allegations as "guilty until proven innocent".)

Regardless, the Ontario Conservative Party, the only force and option against Canadian voter apathy and to stop the nonsense of this gaffe-filled and out of control spending Liberal party, is now leaderless, and the only way for a Kathleen approval rating shot ahead of the election was something as drastic as this happening.  Did she and/or her Liberal cohorts have some hand in all of this? Or passively steer some media or actual alleged victims? We will see if there is a conclusion to the statement of claim filed or it is withdrawn. 

Unfortunately, the Ontario 2018 crystal ball now looks as such: might as well hand the Ontario election over to the Liberals now rather than go through the useless and time-wasting exercises of unnecessary campaigining, nauseating media coverage, meaningless polling updates and water cooler chat (if anyone actually cares about Canadian politics anymore).  Unless there is a colossal, Argonauts type of upset against the Stampeders in last year's Grey Cup, then hello higher taxes, more out of control spending, increased power rates and electricity bills, longer list of "sunshine list members", ever increasing borrowing and deficits.....

Canada: What Was Once One Of The Few Countries To Survive The Financial Crisis Relatively Unscathed...Is Now Creating Its Own Bubbles To Burst

This is how the world's largest financial markets view us now.  What was once one of the few countries to survive the financial crisis relatively unscathed...now it is creating its own bubbles to burst.

This is not going to end well. Many Canadians are now set up to see catastrophic losses.

Is this "innovation" Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains (@NavdeepSBains)? 

Is this "financial innovation" Minister of Finance Bill Morneau (@Bill_Morneau)?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-22/bitcoin-marijuana-stock-crazes-take-root-in-canada-s-wild-west

A Plethora of Easy Targets Today For The Justin, The Ontario Liberals

Today, The Justin is frittering time away in Davos extolling the virtues of Canada and business opportunties, yet the Liberals cannot complete a trade deal with China, NAFTA looks like it is collapsing, but oh wait! Just in, a TPP deal has been completed, but nowhere near its envisioned form.  With only seasonal December jobs strength (from temporary Christmas shopping seasonality....ummm, "holiday seasonality") to brag about, and an all important NAFTA agreement about to be ripped up, we will see what economic strength and opportunities therein lie for the future in Canada.  I suspect if there is a decent Swiss coffee break after the Justin's speech, that will be the only way there will be a packed house.  Otherwise the crowd's attendance will dive like this author expects the Loonie to do in 2018.

Also, the federal Liberals are pushing their agenda and offending just about every religious group  out there with its "like it or lump it" approach to funding tens of thousands of summer jobs primarily aimed at students, no matter what group or cause the application comes from.  The views center around abortion choices and of course the Liberals have managed to manufacture their own language and laws around this as technically, (and with the highest degree of respect) although a woman (or jointly with a partner) can make a choice about abortion, there has been no woman's right passed with regards to this.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Ontario Liberals could not be suffering more from "on the hot seat" syndrome with all past multi-billion dollar gaffes and atrocities merely dismissed as "the days of old (McGuinty)".  Despite a recent member being found guilty, other members appearing in a Sudbury court and with their favourite colleague Kathleen Wynn also on the stand to testify, WHAT MORE WRONG CAN THIS GOVERNMENT DO?

Well...in secret recognition of that, the Liberals have rammed down Ontarians' throats a new minimum wage regime (lacking any debate, economic studies, or consultation with businesses), are rolling out aggressively generous and new prescription and dental benefits, not to mention their flirting with pensions, and always appeasing the society (cult) of Ontario Teachers as well as all union-based groups.

Sadly, as Canadian voters at large are focused not on "the greater good of the country" but "what can you do for me", these two groups are likely to be voted in again in five months and two years time respectively from today.

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/andrew-coyne-an-attractive-place-to-invest-are-you-serious-prime-minister

http://nationalpost.com/news/local-news/reevely-conviction-of-mcguintys-former-chief-of-staff-not-liberals-worst-loss-of-the-week/wcm/d768896d-70cc-42ef-8cdf-56e86d1ddd2c

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/six-fold-increase-in-senate-lobbying-under-trudeau-with-independents-taking-most-meetings

Coincidental Timing - A Free, Family Fun Filled Day at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto After Public Criticism of The Justin's Federal Crime from Christmas Vacation

Curiously, the names of Seamus O'Regan (a "guest" on Justin Trudeau's "family vacation") and the institution of the Aga Khan itself have not received any tarnishment to their names.

Coincidental, that at the peak of negative town hall criticism of Justin Trudeau's "federal crime" as awarded by the ethics commissioner and as per federal laws, this free day has surfaced and available to the public?

https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/performing-arts/event/welcome-weekend-presented-rbc

Bitcoin's Cracks of Volatility Beginning to Show: Buckle Up, the Ride Has Only Started

Finally the volatility and wild swings (yes even downward) are happening.

No doubt, some upward swings to follow and the "I told you so crowd" will have their moment.  Only to be hit negatively again.

On another note, I was enlightened a little more yesterday by a long term friend as to what "mining" is, as it relates to crypto currencies and how this is performed.  Or, from what I understand, "rewarded" for providing the infrastructure and, most importanly, the power to perform the gazillion of calculations needed to build blocks of the block chain, ledgers, verify transactions, etc. (did I use the right terminology in that last sentence?).

Also combined with an article in the Financial Post that jurisdictions of cheap power (Ontario and the provincial Liberals, this is NOT you!), are expected to be the hubs of this infrastructure driven technology. Hello crypto-BC, crypto-Manitoba, crypto-Quebec!

http://business.financialpost.com/investing/bitcoins-happy-dream-looking-more-like-a-nightmare-after-20-per-cent-plunge

There's Math...And Then There is "Liberal Math"

When someone asks the hypothetical question, "if you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would be your six guests?", I have started to think about the following response - our unethical Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his unethical, over spending, over taxing Finance Minister Bill Morneau and ANY high school accounting teacher. Why don't we throw in Kathleen Wynn and her over spending, over taxing Finance Minister Charles Sousa.

A high school accounting teacher should be enough to clear the definitions of what a "balanced budget" is (hint, it does not involve going $5.0B into debt or recieving ~20% of revenues in handouts from the Feds...Kathleen), and that mult-billion dollar deficits do matter and should be considered in paying them down otherwise over time they will hurt you.

Then once learned, let either i) the revelations or ii) the squirming begin...

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/stephen-gordon-the-liberals-dont-want-to-admit-that-their-fiscal-math-isnt-working

The Liberal Way and What The Justin Believes is Right and Just

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/this-man-is-reprehensible-justin-trudeaus-abortion-stance-angers-the-u-s-right

The one, the only JT has managed to mix reproduction rights and acquiring federal grants for institutions. What his advisors were thinking and the net benefit of the media attention maybe we will discover in due course.  Does this further enforce his "feminist" image?  A few selections from the above article as appeared in the Financial Post 

"...The latest controversy involves a new Canadian policy — when applying for federal grants for student jobs, organizations are now required to sign a form attesting that neither their core mission, nor the job being funded, opposes human rights, including reproductive rights. Pro-life activists are suing the federal government over it..."

Also...

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/kelly-mcparland-our-flippant-prime-minister-simply-wont-tolerate-differing-views

"...Trudeau is unmoved, and unwilling to accept that fellow Canadians who hold views different from his own shouldn’t be treated as lesser beings, ineligible for public funds to which they contribute, and to which all other Canadian organizations are welcome to apply..."

"...Neither Trudeau or Hajdu appear to understand that there is no wording in the Charter that offers a constitutional right to abortion. Nor is there anything in the law, since there is no abortion law in Canada. The Supreme Court’s 1988 ruling on abortion threw out the legislation that existed at the time, but left a vacuum in its wake, which no government has had the nerve to fill. Suggesting Canada has “hard won rights and freedoms” that protect the right to terminate unborn children is simply not true. What it has is a total lack of rules, and a public unwilling to confront the commotion that would surely arise from any effort to re-open the matter..."

And of course the Liberal way just involves saying an untruth often enough until the population at large starts to believe it...

"...This allows people like Trudeau to pretend that Canada has undergone a fierce debate over the issue, and “pro-choice” emerged victorious. He seized on this falsehood in his remarks in Hamilton, in which he used the term “rights” three times to describe a situation in which no rights have been codified. Simply because pro-abortion organizations habitually refer to “a woman’s right to choose” doesn’t mean it exists; women in Canada have the ability to choose — simply because there is nothing to stop them — but that’s not the same as a right. In fact, the 1988 decision indicated that the mother’s rights should be balanced against the child’s. People and organizations can oppose abortion and still be respectable, law-abiding citizens. It’s not clear whether the Prime Minister understands this distinction, or prefers to ignore it in favour of a less honest approach..."

Well, When You Put It Like That....

And there are Canadians that will give their vote, one of their biggest rigts of citizenship, to this regime...again.  Where is the head shaking emoji?

https://globalnews.ca/news/3958988/roy-green-justin-trudeaus-tour-little-more-than-manipulation/

This Federal Liberal Government is all About Views Based on Fairness, Transparency and Science - Until One Disagrees With The Liberal View

So much for freedom of speech and freedom of views.  In the Liberals' binary world of view points (the "sacred, almighty, correct Liberal" view and "all the other remaining ranges and differing points of view that are wrong"), now they are tying grants to summer employment with these restrictions based on the "Liberal view" of reproduction rights.  This "one way, NOT another" flies in the face of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to which the Liberals so fondly cherish as it was repatriated under Daddy Trudeau's regime. 

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/hundreds-of-churches-camps-and-charities-protest-abortion-clause-in-canada-summer-jobs-grant-application

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/trudeau-abortion-clause-in-canada-summer-jobs-grant-application-shouldnt-put-off-religious-groups

"Three Ways to Get Fat...Bike Riding"

I do love a good play on words; however, the non-cyclist may run away from this headline!!!

The latest rage, especially in Quebec, fat bike riding is like riding a mountain bike on steroids.  I have thought about buying for most of 2017.  Here is a good way to test it out before spending $1,000 on a low end fat bike....

https://www.evergreen.ca/blog/entry/three-ways-to-get-fat-bike-riding/

The State of Canada's Capital Markets: Hundreds of "Zombie" Shell Companies

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-09/novogratz-is-latest-to-tap-canada-s-junior-bourse-in-crypto-push

The state of your Vancouver Stock Exchange, "The TSX Venture Exchange has hundreds of "zombie" shells that can provide access to listings via reverse takeovers."

Thankfully, a lot of investors that were burned on the set up of these "hundreds" of companies will see a return out of their time wasted, their money wasted (on management teams paying themselves six-figure salaries) and will be pro

My hunch is that this is all going to blow up anyway (cryptocurrencies and marijuana industries).  So it may provide some temporary hope.  

Also, comforting to know that Canadians are paying people not in one but 13 different jurisdictions to "monitor" these zombie entities.  

Heads in The Sand: Eloquently Put or Not, Foreign Ownership of Real Estate Is a Much More Colossal lssue than Canadians Tend to Think

Last year, the world’s watchdog into money laundering and terrorist financing — the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) launched by the G7 and United Nations – gave Canada a failing grade because of its legal and real estate loopholes.

Hats off to Diane Francis for putting in print what many know, but the masses (including our elected officials who pass the laws) will not admit.  It is a huge problem that has lead to a lot of complaining around water coolers, barbecues, hockey rinks, Tim Horton's queues and even the Canadian media.  As Canadians, we are now stuck facing this "real estate inflation" that Canada has imported upon itself.  In other words, Canada is to blame for the state of a frothy real estate market and allowed the factors involved to align in this over-heated market that requires a lot of capital from home owners, investors and speculators in many cases, stretching themselves too thin. 

Not mentioned in this article, but the Globe & Mail blew the doors open (c. January 2015) on a little known but legal clause called "assignment of contract" and how rampant it was in Vancouver, whereby many home sellers were ready to close with the buyer they thought they sold to only to find a different buyer upon closing that paid an extra 10% to 20% on top of the price the sellers thought they sold for (see link below).  Did the original sellers receive that extra gain? No way, the "assignment" allowed the thought-to-be buyer to then re-sell within months (usually knowingly from a group of foreign buyer looking to plop down or park +C$1.0M at a time). 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/investigations/the-real-estate-technique-fuelling-vancouvers-housing-market/article28634868/

Now as Canadians, we are left with stress tests that are making it more difficult to enter the market or keeping Canadian buyers out of the market entirely.  Yet the taxpayer CMHC continues to do its dirty work, while non-Canadians benefit from what is arguably good value for a +$1.0M home - rule of law in Canada, no real checking of source of funds (criminal or not), children easily allowed to take spots in post secondary educational institutions, all under the guise of a non-resident for tax purposes. 

And you thought kiwis were just a great fruit!

Does This PM (and Liberal Advisors) Know No "Right Versus Wrong" or the Concpet of Checks and Balances?

Nothing left to say after the head shaking while reading this...

But when will his own Liberal party stop him?

Of note, the context around "they were ostensibly “backpacking in Afghanistan.” The phrase dances off the tongue a bit like “scuba diving in Yemen” or “gastronomic tour of Somalia”: not inconceivable, but the Boyles will not have been surprised to learn that some in the U.S. intelligence community were suspicious. They reportedly refused an American military flight home over fears — perfectly reasonable ones, surely — that they might wind up stuck at Bagram Airfield." is not only a classic and cheeky poke, but is something not every journalist would put to (online) paper.  

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-photos-bring-trudeaus-seriousness-into-question-and-the-backlash-could-be-legendary

Recent Findings About Minimum Wage Increases - Apparently Results in Job Losses, Who Knew?!

For those that are interested in "sources", here are the documents that have fostered many easy headlines for the media today

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/san2017-26.pdf

http://fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/minimum_wage

Will the Real Picture of the Toronto Housing Market Please Stand Up

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-04/toronto-home-prices-fall-for-seventh-month-as-lending-tightens

It is shocking that a body of this importance (Toronto Real Estate Board or TREB) charged with compiling data in order to help Torontonians, Canadians and those wanting to live here with the largest purchase of their lives, only has data going back to 2000.  Regardless of this biased group (both compiler of the "independent" information and the governor of the agents to execute these transactions), the language of "the largest seven-month decline" should be taken in context.  

It appears the stress test measures have (temporarily) done their jobs i) keeping inexperienced yet wide-eyed first time buyers from landing themselves in financial stress and ii) reducing the lighter fluid already placed on a raging bonfire.  

...And a Summary of Canada 2018 from Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-03/trudeau-embraces-the-economy-just-as-it-begins-to-gear-down

In deflecting all the nonsense that both Justin and his "trusted" Finance Minister Morneau found themselves in (thanks to Liberal above-the-law entitlement), now Trudeau wants to highlight the economy.  This coming from a leader who piles on deficits upon deficits. 

The thing is, when did employment dipping below 6.0% become something to brag about? Especially after it has taken nine years to recover form the global financial crisis of 2008.  Historical averages have been ~4.0%. 

More smoke and mirrors from the Justin and his merry band of over taxing Liberals. 

The Outlook for 2018 in Canada - No January Effect Here

http://business.financialpost.com/investing/canada-stocks-set-for-meager-gains-in-2018-strategists-say

Happy New Year.  It is the early days of 2018 and with all early January print (and non print) media, predictions are abound. 

It's always difficult to be in the role in portraying yourself as the holder of a crystal ball; however, as of New Year's day, Canada woke up to a new federal carbon tax (thank you Justin, McKenna), while in Ontario, a new day has brought higher minimum wages (thank you Kathleen) that are impacting thousands of small businesses across the province...overnight. 

While the banks, telecoms and REIT's are chugging along on our TSX and (paying some great dividends in some cases), Canada's bread and butter resource industries (mining, oil and gas) have no returns to brag about, not to mention a very real risk now of a NAFTA-less world and a house of cards real estate market.  As such, the question of how long legalized marijuana growing companies will be around (in other words, when will the bubble burst?) must be asked as it is the only bright spot on a publicly traded basis currently. 

As any curious neighbour would look over the fence into the adjacent backyard, Canada must wake up and look around to other countries and economies - other than the U.S.  Remember that looming NAFTA renegotiation?

Also of note, with Ontario elections coming up in 2018 (in six months) and federal elections in 2019, we are not far off to see the lingering effects of these impacts.