FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 6

Financial Debt Increasingly a Concern for Canadians and Their Financial Institutions

by bcurry

Remember the sub-prime causing America’s great recession of 2008?  Well, now Canadians are on track to be subjected to a similar scenario in light of the average debt loads that they are experiencing.  The International Monetary Fund warns Canada that it runs the highest risk of mortgage defaults among advanced economies, while other reports show Canadians are increasingly struggling with their total debt.  There is little doubt that Canadians are now at the greatest risk of mortgage defaults.  Many Canadians bought houses in the last decade because of lower than average mortgage interest rates, often as low as 1.5 percent annually.  This despite the fact that in many urban areas the average cost of housing had reached record highs, sometimes increasing by 20 percent annually.  Now, the average mortgage rate in advanced economies, including Canada, has risen to 6.8 percent in late 2022, more than doubling from the start of last year.

Canada’s household debt is the highest in the G7.  A report by credit research firm Equifax Canada indicated that Canadian consumers on average are spending 21.5 percent more each month on credit cards, compared to pre-pandemic levels. It further noted that average monthly spending per credit card holder exceeded $2,200 this quarter, up about $400 compared to the first quarter of 2020.  A significant number of Canadians are also beginning to default on mortgage payments and non-mortgage credit.  A recent Angus Reid survey noted that three in ten Canadians say they are struggling to just get by, with far too many continuing to rely on the use of credit cards to cover their expenses.

Worst yet, the Bank of Canada may have to raise its rates in order to tackle the continuing high inflation rate.   April’s inflation numbers took economists by surprise, ticking up to 4.4 percent from a year ago, instead of the forecasted 4.1 percent, in the first acceleration since June 2022.  Further rate increases will only exacerbate the financial challenges that Canadians are now facing.  In addition, inflation is hitting everyone hard and appears to be on the upturn for a number of necessities, such as food, fuel and housing, including rental accommodation.

While Canada’s financial institutions are in fairly good shape, recent difficulties of major banking institutions in the U.S. have made some Canadians somewhat more nervous.  No one expects a run on the banks, but Canadians are increasingly putting investments into more secure and insured options.  Fear is a deadly thing for the economy.  Hopefully, our major banks will not see an inordinate number of loan defaults and those defaults on mortgages in particular.

Many Canadians were able to increase their savings during the pandemic, and it was expected that post-pandemic spending would eat into those savings.  However, Canadians appear to have gone on a spending spree instead of paying off some of their existing debt.  Now, because of high debt loads and the impact of inflation, they are caught in a financial bind with many struggling just to get by.  Should a recession occur, it would only make the situation worse, especially if unemployment rates rise.  Like a number of analysts suggest, perhaps it’s time to tighten our belts!

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Jun 4

Why Would the Canadian Government Need a Public Inquiry on National Security Matters?

by bcurry

When it comes to looking into foreign interference (e.g. Peoples Republic of China) in Canada’s electoral processes, work of elected officials or government dealings, opposition parties keep clamouring for a public inquiry.  However, it would appear that fairly recent legislation already provides for more than enough ability on the part of parliamentarians to examine national security matters.

In 2017, Parliament passed the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act to review national security matters.  The Committee (NSICP) is to consist of not more than three members who are members of the Senate and not more than eight members who are members of the House of Commons.  Not more than five Committee members who are members of the House of Commons may be members of the government party.  According to the Act, the mandate of the Committee is to review

(a) the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence;

(b) any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate Minister determines that the review would be injurious to national security; and

(c) any matter relating to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the Committee.

Subsequently, in 2019, Parliament passed the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act.  The Agency’s mandate is to

(a) review any activity carried out by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the Communications Security Establishment;

(b) review any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence;

(c) review any matter that relates to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the Agency; and

(d) investigate an array of possible complaints.

The NSICP already can review national security measures while concurrently determining whether any review of an ongoing operation could be injurious to national security.  This conclusion was outlined in the recent report of highly respected David Johnston who was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “special rapporteur”.  In his report, he outlined the reasons why a public inquiry was not the way to go.  This did not please the opposition parties in Parliament, who continue to call for a public inquiry, and the House of Commons consequently voted for Mr. Johnston to step aside.  The problem really is that the Conservative opposition members had previously withdrawn from participating on the NSICP over a past case involving a national security issue.  While the case was still ongoing, they wanted access to all confidential information concerning the active case.  As a result, the NSICP was and has been unable to fulfill its mandate.

There is little doubt that the opposition parties in Parliament, especially the Conservative party, see this issue as a political windfall.  However, this approach does nothing to resolve the current immediate questions of Chinese interference as a matter of national security.  Remember that the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency was set up as an oversight body, and can brief NSICP members on operational matters.  Parliamentarians should be doing their jobs via the NSICP, which is the most logical and speedy mechanism to carry out any timely national security review.  Public inquiries are expensive and normally take a long time to complete.  After all, any judge appointed to carry out such a review must first obtain expert assistance in the review and take time to become acquainted with such a complicated issue.  One has to ask oneself why all this legislation was put in place if Parliamentarians are simply going to ignore it?

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Jun 1

Why Government Advisory to Canadians Warns of Gun Violence Awareness in U.S.

by bcurry

Wow!  You knew it was just coming.  The Government of Canada is now warning its residents about mass shootings and the high rate of guns in the U.S.  We are all familiar with the high degree of gun violence in the States, but one is increasingly seeing random shootings in public places often visited by tourists.  These shootings tend not to be targeted, such as those in schools and religious institutions.  A study by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows where public mass shootings have been taking place between 1966 to the present.  Top of the list is retail locations — which are known to have high and uncontrolled foot traffic — followed by restaurants and bars.  The same organization notes that there’s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone. 

According to the Gun Violence Archive, in each of the three last complete years in the U.S., there have been more than 600 mass shootings which are when there are at least four injuries or fatalities. That’s almost two a day!  In 2022, there were 20,200 deaths as a result of guns and 38,550 injuries.  Even these stats could be an underestimation.  The worst of the mass shootings, such as the very recent one in a Dallas-area mall which left nine people dead including the gunman, and last year’s shooting in Buffalo at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighbourhood killing 10 people, made headlines worldwide.  All adding to the fear and validity of the advisory.

Moreover, it’s not just Canada that has issued an advisory with respect to travel to the U.S.  Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also advised their citizens to exercise increased caution while visiting, directly pointing to the gun violence issues.  While the U.S. is still a relatively safe place to visit, Global Affairs Canada does recommend that Canadians research the locations where they are planning to visit and be constantly aware of their surroundings.  In Canada, Canadians are not use to having mass shootings on a regular basis as they are very few and far between.  For this reason, they need to understand the serious differences as they relate to gun possession and right to carry laws in certain states in particular.  Let’s face it.  A bullet doesn’t distinguish a target between an American and a Canadian victim.

The need to take specific safeguards when visiting the U.S. has never been greater.  Tourism between our two countries has continued to be strong, particularly since post-COVID restrictions on travel have been increasingly removed in both countries.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually issued an official Active Shooter Reference Guide providing people with more information on how to protect themselves in an active shooter situation.  I would suggest strongly that Canadians travelling or working in the U.S. obtain a copy as a preparedness initiative.  The same advice would of course apply to Americans themselves.

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May 15

Investigation Into China’s Meddling In Canadian Politics Could Lead to Witch-hunt

by bcurry

There is little doubt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to meddle in Canadian politics over several decades.  Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong wrote in a recent statement. “It’s long past time for the Trudeau government to come forward with a robust plan to counter Beijing’s foreign interference operations here on Canadian soil.”  Recently, we learned that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) informed Mr. Chong that they were aware of a Chinese diplomat’s threats to his family in Hong Kong.  This alleged intimidation created further outrage among the opposition members who continue to call for a full public enquiry into the CCP’s attempts to interfere in Canadian politics at the local, provincial and federal levels.  The federal government is currently looking into the matter through an independent review as to whether a full public enquiry is needed.

However, anyone and any organization that has had dealings with or received funds from Chinese sources is now under greater scrutiny, whether deserved or not.  The first instance of note was related to donations apparently given to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which of course can be indirectly connected to his son, current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  However, the Foundation is an independent non-profit organization whose mandate is to provide generous financial support for doctoral research by outstanding Scholars, and to support the development of future engaged leaders who inspire innovative approaches as they blaze new trails in the Social Sciences and Humanities.  Being devoted to educational endeavours and scholastic research, there is no proof of any direct influence on the federal government attributed to previous Chinese funding to the Foundation.  However, the optics are not great!

Now, it has been reported that Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow, and a veteran New Democratic Party politician, has won support of a group aligned with China.  However, Chow has been defending democracy activists in Hong Kong and was among a handful of federal MPs who stood in the House of Commons and commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre and attended Tiananmen vigils.  Toronto has a large Chinese community, so Chow has had meetings to reach out to Toronto’s community of mainland-China immigrants, some of which unfortunately were organized by the CCP branch that spearheads Beijing’s influence and interference efforts worldwide.  In fact, she’s not the only prominent Toronto-area politician to have rubbed shoulders with the group.  Current Liberal Trade Minister Mary Ng posted pictures of her celebrating the lunar New Year with the same group in 2019, praising its efforts to promote “diversity and inclusion.”  As for Vancouver, CSIS reportedly noted that Chinese diplomats tried to get sympathetic candidates elected in last year’s municipal vote, in part by using groups that represented Beijing’s interests.  Ken Sim, who won the mayor’s race in a landslide, has denied that such interference played any part in his victory.  It would now appear that no Canadian politician of Chinese descent is immune to being investigated by the media over possible support received from CCP-affiliated organizations in Canada of which there are several.

The case of Michael Chong has led to the expulsion by the federal government of the Chinese diplomat accused of attempting to intimidate him as a Member of Parliament and outspoken critic of China’s regime.  This is the first high profile case acted upon involving findings by CSIS, and there could potentially be others.  The danger is that, under the current environment, more Canadians of Chinese descent could unjustly become the targets of the media and security agencies simply because of their ethnicity.  One commentator compared the current situation to that of the McCarthy era in American history that saw U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy produce a series of investigations and hearings during the 1950s in an effort to expose supposed communist infiltration of various areas of the U.S. government.  Numerous Americans suffered unfairly and severely simply from investigations by his Senate committee and its widely publicized indiscriminate allegations.  One can only hope that we will not see a similar witch-hunt taking place in Chinese communities across Canada.  Chinese Canadians have every right as citizens not to be unjustly targeted.  Cooler heads need to prevail during these difficult times.

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May 6

Child Labour Is No Longer An Issue Found Only In Third World Countries

by bcurry

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor released an update of its annual child labor report – representing the most comprehensive research product at that time on the state of child labour in over 130 countries worldwide.  The release included International Labor Organization (ILO) figures estimating there were still over 152 million child labourers and 25 million forced labourers worldwide.  In 2016, 23 countries, including Canada, made a significant advancement in their efforts to address child labour, more than ever before.  The former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta asserted that: “We must make these injustices a relic of the past.”  However, the Labor Department which is supposed to find and punish child labour violations, noted that inspectors in a dozen states said their understaffed offices could barely respond to complaints, much less open original investigations.  The same department noted dozen of cases of young migrant workers who were killed since 2017, the last year the Labor Department reported any such data.

One now has the state government of Iowa introducing a bill aimed at rolling back labour protections for children, allowing them to work longer hours and take jobs that had been previously prohibited. The measure would permit children as young as 14 to work in roofing, construction and demolition, provided they are part of educational or apprenticeship programs and a parent has granted permission for the work.  A law passed in Arkansas in March eliminated work permits and age verification requirements for workers younger than 16, and similar legislation is advancing in Missouri.  Other similar child labour proposals have been introduced in Minnesota, Ohio and Georgia.  Wisconsin legislators on Monday introduced a bill to allow children as young as 14 to serve alcohol in restaurants.

One cannot believe that Americans could justify sending 14 year olds into what are definitely considered hazardous or inappropriate workplaces, employment situations considered as too hazardous for young people in many states and countries.  For example, in Ontario, Canada, children under 14 cannot work in an industrial establishment of any kind.  Children under 15 cannot work in a factory.  Children under 16 cannot work in a logging operation, in a mine, or in construction.  We’re not talking here about delivering newspapers or helping out in a restaurant or on a farm, as long as the use machinery and tools are not included.  This does not mean that child labour doesn’t exist in Canada as recent labour standards violations and employment-related deaths and injuries have demonstrated.  Indeed, workers between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely than any other group to suffer serious injuries, according to statistics gathered by the Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (WCBC).  Investigations and inquests consistently find a major cause to be the lack of proper health and safety training, especially related to younger workers.  Between 2011 and 2015, the WCBC reported that 33 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents.  Every year, young workers between 14 and 17 are killed or injured on the job, often in workplaces deemed to be hazardous, including roofing, construction, transportation, industrial sites, farming and forestry.

Arguing that giving 14 year olds work experience is all fine and dandy, but not when it comes to potentially risking their lives.  I have dozens of examples over the years where preventable workplace tragedies happened involving young workers, especially in hazardous workplaces.  14 year olds should be in school until such time they are mature enough to take on certain employment opportunities.  There is no place in a modern and ethical society which places children in unsafe conditions, most often for the purpose of profiteering by certain businesses.  Why should we take advantage of the desperation of some families who are living below the poverty line and receiving inadequate social assistance, especially migrant families?  If we continue to promote child labour, then we are no better than those third world countries where unfortunately it exists in large numbers.  There is no excuse to expand the use of child labour either in Canada or the U.S.!

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May 1

Big Brother is Watching You at Your Workplace. So What!

by bcurry

During the late 1900s, the office where I was working introduced access cards, as one security measure, primarily used to enter the workplace.  Everyone suspected, and rightly so, that such technology would allow an employer to keep track of the goings and comings of staff, all registered and maintained by management on an accessible data base.  It would register one’s arrival and departure from the office, including during lunch and coffee breaks outside the office.  Subsequently, word processing units replaced the more traditional typing pools, allowing supervisors the possibility of tracking the amount of and speed of input into the system.  Not long after, personal desktop computers replaced the need for separate word processing units as employees were required to input their work individually at their work stations.  With this technology, programs could be introduced to track one’s work remotely.  Of course, the introduction of these new technologies, most often used to track productivity, also raised a number of privacy and human relations issues.  Take the worst case scenario in call centres, where instantaneous tracking information is now available 24/7.

Employee monitoring software, sometimes called “spyware”, has now become a major issue, for employees and employers alike.  According to a survey from 1E, an information-technology outsourcing firm, 73 percent of Informatics Technology (IT) managers are uncomfortable telling their staff to install it.  Some managers have become fanatical about implementing surveillance technology, researchers referring to it as a symptom of “productivity paranoia”.  However, the negative impacts on workers of constant surveillance at work can include reduced trust and loyalty, along with increased anxiety, stress and even resignations.  The use of spyware, often employing key performance indicators, is increasingly seen as a major human relations issue, especially where employees may not be aware of its existence or have not given their approval to its restricted use under certain specified conditions.

With the introduction of more remote work during the pandemic, more businesses are using monitoring tools to track productivity in an increasingly remote-work world.  The issue has risen to a level of concern that, as of Oct. 11, 2022, employers in the province of Ontario with 25 or more workers will need to have a written policy on electronic monitoring that outlines how and why staff are monitored, what the information will be used for and to disclose that policy to employees.  The new rule is ingrained in the province’s labour standards legislation.  However, while Ontario is the first province to enact a disclosure requirement on electronic monitoring, the rules don’t grant workers new privacy rights.  Most Ontario employees still don’t have any such protections.  The province of Quebec passed legislation in September 2022 that requires employers to have a specific purpose for the data they collect from employees.  While it will continue to allow Quebec employers to use surveillance technologies, by Sept. 22, 2023, it will require them to have a serious and legitimate purpose for their use, as well as to disclose any monitoring to employees and allow them to opt out.

Joe Masoodi, a co-author of the report and a senior policy analyst at TMU’s Leadership Lab, reportedly said monitoring tools aren’t inherently bad and can be used for professional development.  However, these tools fail to capture intangible elements of work like person-to-person interactions that require empathy and compassion.  They can also have “serious consequences” for employees, such as being held back from a promotion or facing disciplinary measures for not meeting the company’s key performance indicators metrics.  For some employees, such surveillance will add to work-related stress and possibly to physical or mental health issues.

The Ontario rule ultimately could be a positive change, because it will prompt employers to justify why they want to monitor employees, and the Quebec rule will then allow employees to opt out.  It’s clear that employers have a right to monitor employees’ productivity, but not at the cost of their trust, health and morale.  The more that an employer is open about such surveillance, the better it can be used in order to achieve its intended benefits without causing negative consequences when it comes to human relations matters.

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Apr 30

How We Treat Elders is a Reflection of Our Societal Values

by bcurry

Statistically, we are living longer in North America because of better nutrition, health care and medical innovations.  As a senior myself, I have a lot of concerns about how we treat elders.  COVID demonstrated how inadequate our long-term care facilities and senior residences were and continue to operate.  First and foremost, the issue of increasing longevity is a major one given that we have an aging population.  In addition, we have a society that is still primarily focused economically and socially on youth as was the case for much of the mid-twentieth century and on.  The fact that the U.S. has a current president who is over eighty should tell us something, instead of raising concerns over his age in terms of a possible second term.  Ageism is a factor in our everyday lives.  Take it from someone who has faced it first hand.

In other societies, elders are treated with much more respect and consideration.  These seniors often have experienced things, such as wars, persecution and severe poverty: things which none of our younger generation has ever really had to face head on.  Many immigrated to the U.S. and Canada after the Second World War in search of better opportunities for themselves and their families.  Their stories represent the history of post-war immigrants who fled following the collapse of European countries and the emergence of the Soviet Union, and their efforts to create new productive lives in both countries.  I myself was an immigrant making up this historic migration when my parents came to Canada shortly after the war.

For those who fought in the war, we frequently recognize them as the “greatest generation”, many shaped by the Great Depression and who represented the primary generation composing the enlisted forces in World War II.  In past years, they had an important place in our society in light of their sacrifices and experiences.  They passed on their values of working hard and sacrificing for their families, especially their children.  Now, many who were part of the so-called greatest generation are slowly disappearing.  They are no longer there to serve as valuable role models for my generation and our youth.  Instead, in our micro-family society the role of elders has been diminished and diluted to the point of blatant obscurity.  In most cases, they are no longer living with their children and their families.  They are often placed in senior residences and long-term care facilities.  Some seniors are fortunate enough and financially able to stay in their homes with available home care.  However, for some seniors, this possibility is unaffordable or simply unavailable.

Interestingly, it’s somewhat ironic that both countries have federal governments where the elected representation is one with more seniors proportionately represented in comparison to the general population.  For example, the 118th Congress is the third oldest since 1789 and the average age of Congress has been climbing since the early 1980s.  Today, the average age in the U.S. Senate is 63.9 years, and 57.5 years in the House of Representatives.  In Canada, the average age in the federal 39th parliament is about 52 years.  The Canadian senate has more seniors because members, appointed by parliament for their experience and past contributions to Canadian society, can sit in the Senate until the age of 75.

When it comes to governance, including the judiciary, there is much more recognition of the value of knowledge gained through life’s experiences.  Unfortunately, this recognition is not always carried over into our daily lives.  One only has to listen to the stories of our elders to realize their important contributions to our society, no matter how small and distant.  They are part of our history which needs to be recorded for posterity, thereby becoming part of their legacies.  The next time that you encounter a senior, take the time to listen to their personal histories and stories.  After all, they helped to contribute to our society’s foundation and to those changes which helped us evolve into today’s modern society: socially, politically and economically.  We owe it to the elders not to simply ignore them, but to treat them humanely with the respect they deserve as invaluable assets.

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Apr 26

Why the Fraser Institute’s Interpretation of Public Sector Stats in Canada is Misleading

by bcurry

When we think of government employment and operations, we tend to think of employees working away in government offices — i.e. some huge hidden bureaucracy.  Back in June 2015, the Fraser Institute released a report which noted that the public sector share of employment starting in 1992, declined from 26.1 percent to 22.3 percent by 2003.  Subsequently, it also noted that there had been an increase, with a peak of 24.4 percent reached in 2010 and then a slight decline to 24.1 percent by 2013.  As a result, persons looking at the report would immediately use such information to highlight that one out of four jobs in Canada are in government at different levels: federal, provincial and local.  The fact of the matter is that this perception is somewhat misleading depending on which definition of public sector activity one is using.  They then allude to U.S. stats which suggest that one in eight jobs is in the public sector. This comparison is misleading given the differences in public sector definitions between the two countries and the various activities which employ greater private sector resources in the U.S., such as in higher education and health care.

In Canada, besides public administration, public sector entities are found in the form of numerous government business enterprises (GBEs), active in various industries such as utilities (e.g., hydroelectricity), retail trade (e.g., liquor boards and cannabis stores), transportation (e.g., ports), finance (e.g., deposit insurance), leasing (e.g., convention centres) and recreation (e.g., nature parks).  For example, because of universal health care and health insurance in Canada, the vast majority of medical services are publicly funded, and health practitioners are deemed to be part of the public sector.  In addition, colleges and universities are primarily publicly funded.

Subsequently, the large size of the general government in Canada is primarily because of extensive social protection programs combined with the universal health care and public education systems.  In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the expenses in 2021 of the 6,135 public sector units (as defined by the agency) amounted to 48.6% of the total gross domestic product (GDP), with consolidated general government expenses alone representing 44.9% of GDP.  These stats would place Canada’s public sector share of the economy in the same allocation as countries such as Great Britain, Sweden and Norway for example.

There is no doubt that the nature and range of industries in which the public sector is involved underlines its economic breadth and influence in Canada.  The public sector represents many workers who provide valuable services to Canadians, including health workers, teachers, firefighters, paramedics, hydro workers, park wardens, police officers, inspectorates, public transit workers, etc., etc.  As one can see, many public sector workers are employed in what are deemed as essential services.  To maintain these services, there has to be an adequate number of experienced and qualified public sector workers.  Wages and benefits have to be competitive with those offered in the private sector in order to attract and retain skilled workers, especially in the current period of labour shortages.

On the one hand, the Fraser Institute is known to be a pro-business entity and tends to take a more anti-government stance in its research and analysis.  On the other hand, in the most recent report released by Statistics Canada in 2021, it noted that public sector expenses (48.6% of GDP) saw a significant reduction from their unprecedented high levels reported in 2020 (58.8% of GDP).  Governments at all levels are attempting to reduce their annual debt levels, back to levels found prior to the pandemic.  It can be anticipated that public sector employment is most likely going to decline in post-pandemic years, particularly with the reduced need for certain services and programs introduced by governments during the pandemic.

To imply that public sector employment in Canada is somehow out of whack, is to ignore the importance of the role of governments in the country at all levels.  Given the scope of the Canadian public sector, the numbers are entirely reasonable and acceptable.

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Apr 19

What Does the Acronym “DINC” Stand For, And Why Has It Resurfaced Today?

by bcurry

During the early eighties, young people who were economically struggling were putting off marriages, children and buying homes.  They represented what became known as the DINC generation, that is to say “dual income no children”.  More recently, the acronym was expanded to DINCWAG, or “dual income no children with a dog”.  The acronym has again surfaced today.

Today’s younger generation, be they millennials or Generation Z, are facing tough economic times as a result of COVID and the current inflationary situation, where high interest rates and soaring housing prices have excluded many from the market.  In addition, rents in major urban centers are at an all time high and new residential construction was greatly impacted by COVID and problems with supply management.  Even in the high-tech industries, more and more layoffs are occurring.

Since the boomer period following the Second World War, birth rates in North American have been slowly declining.  Few people are having three or more children anymore and, with more women participating in the labour market and having professional careers, women are delaying having children into their thirties and even forties.  However, despite new fertility techniques, women are often restricted to having only one child as they become biologically older.  As well, a growing number of people are deciding not to have children, citing concerns such as climate change and inequality.  One suspects from recent studies that this situation will most likely become the norm in our society.

Even Elon Musk has entered into the debate by proclaiming that ‘civilization is going to crumble’ if people don’t have more children.  Musk further added that too many “good, smart people” think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control.  What does Musk mean by ‘civilization’?  Within his assertions lies an underlying perspective that what the industrialized countries need are more people born to so-called “smart people”.  This gets a little to too close to Adolf Hitler’s obsession with ‘racial purity’ and use of the word ‘Aryan’ to describe his idea of a ‘pure German race’ whereby the ‘Aryan race’ had a duty to control the world.  There are far right extremist white groups in North America who believe that current immigration levels from so-called ‘third world’ countries are diluting the population.  They are thereby loosing their traditional white privilege status, and feel threatened.  Such groups push for white women to have more children, thereby maintaining political and economic control within the society.  Don’t even talk about interracial marriage with these folks!

Let’s get real!  The so-called DINC phenomenon has more to do with the economic realities of our times.  It’s tough to have children in an age when the costs associated with raising children in our society are much greater than in the past.  Child care is not cheap and often women or men do not have access to adequate and affordable parental leave after the birth of a child.  The higher costs of higher education alone can be a major consideration, given that most parents want their children to graduate with a degree and go on to more lucrative employment.

With the current labour shortages in several sectors, the U.S. and Canada cannot afford to not use immigration as the primary means to fill jobs with skilled labour.  These jobs include everything from agricultural workers, construction workers, truckers to workers in the services sector.  Let’s face it, the DINC phenomenon is real and one sees it in communities on a daily basis.  The phenomenon has been gradually growing and was expedited by the COVID pandemic, which in itself has had an enormous impact on the world of work in North America.  New technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are having a major impact and are creating a good degree of uncertainty among the younger generation.  Uncertainty is the key word.  Dealing with it will continue to be a difficult challenge for young couples today and into the near future.  Perhaps Elon Musk might want to come down from his pedestal and recognize the realities of the age in which we live.

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Apr 14

Yes, Inflation is Real. However, Climate Change is Just as Real.

by bcurry

Living in Ottawa, April can normally be an unpredictable month for the weather.  However, going from freezing rain on one day last week to 28 (centigrade) degree heat the following week is really abnormal.  In addition, the famous longest skating rink — in the Rideau Canal — did not open for the first time in over 50 years of operation due to unusual warmer weather this past winter.  With extreme weather events around the world, even climate change deniers have to sit up and take note.

Years ago, the federal government in Canada imposed a “carbon tax,” which puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions.  Yes, this tax does contribute to inflation, particularly because of the federal fuel charge which affects drivers and businesses everywhere.  However, one must take into account the economic and environmental costs of climate change which are becoming increasingly a major burden on governments and people due to infrastructure damages and related deaths.  Someone will have to pay for infrastructure improvements and maintenance in order to avoid the detrimental impact of future extreme weather events.

There is a need for policies and programs that put a price on pollution and help consumers manage rising costs.  To blame measures aimed at combating climate change and reducing greenhouse emissions is short sighted.  Green technologies need to be supported and everyone is going to have to adjust their standard of living and consumption accordingly. 

Doesn’t matter where you live as the environment and climate change are global issues!  Don’t point to the environmental impact of China, India and other countries in order to argue that we can’t do enough to deal with the issue.  Over forty percent of the world’s consumption occurs in North America, and we need to show more environmental leadership.  China and the U.S. are the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, so any attempt to address the climate crisis will need to involve deep emissions cuts from these two powerhouse nations. China’s emissions are more than double those of the U.S., but historically the US has emitted more than any other country in the world.  On a per capita basis, Canada is just as guilty.

There is little doubt that food will become even more expensive due to the impact of extreme weather events on agriculture.  Just look to California which is a major producer of fruits and vegetables, or to mid-west U.S. states which provide red meat and grain products.  Farmers are finding it harder to produce because of higher costs for feed, fertilizers and fuel.  Farmers have to adapt to help reduce greenhouse emissions, while introducing more green technologies.  Yes, the initial costs will be high, but the long term benefits will be great and will reduce those costs.  Governments will have to support farmers during this much needed transition.

For too long, all of us have been consuming without having to pay for the real costs associated with environmental impacts.  It’s about time that we wake up and realize these outcomes.  For those lower income groups who are particularly affected by inflationary costs, society will have to help out them and their families to at least have a reasonable standard of living.  This can be done by income tax credits, living wages, affordable housing, universal health insurance, subsidized education opportunities, and improved social assistance programs.  As two of the world’s wealthiest countries, the U.S. and Canada do not have any excuse to provide an annual minimum income — something talked about for several decades.

More corporations have to play a greater role in supporting technological innovations aimed at reducing pollution and greenhouse emissions.  They have to pay their fair share (e.g. corporate taxes) for operating in a stable economy and one which strives to provide for a fair level field to operate in.  Carbon taxes are one way of encouraging innovation and rewarding businesses by recognizing the associated costs designed to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Moreover, we all have to be accountable and environmentally friendly.  Otherwise, extreme weather events like those in Ottawa will unfortunately become the norm.

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