[DSC]

Legalities aside, federal-provincial jurisdiction remains the third rail of Canadian politics. It used to be the federal government could get away with playing in the provincial sandbox if they threw enough money around but I'm not sure that is the case anymore.

Currently the Feds are saying to cities that they can only get funds from the Housing Accelerator Fund if they simplify and streamline things. ("The Housing Accelerator Fund was created to incentivize local governments to implement the structural and lasting reforms that will increase the supply of housing." )

 

[lenaitch]

Currently the Feds are saying to cities that they can only get funds from the Housing Accelerator Fund if they simplify and streamline things. ("The Housing Accelerator Fund was created to incentivize local governments to implement the structural and lasting reforms that will increase the supply of housing." )

As I said, bribery works. Other than strings attached to access the funding, it doesn't really encroach on provincial sandboxes.

 

[jje1000]

Good luck disincentivizing illegal migration after this.

Canada to create citizenship path for undocumented immigrants- Globe and Mail​

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Canada is planning a "broad and comprehensive program" that would allow many undocumented people to apply for permanent residency, the country's Immigration Minister Marc Miller told The Global and Mail.

The announcement complements Canada's ambitious immigration targets, which had already aimed to bring in 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025. The country's population has grown mainly through immigration, and this has helped fuel economic growth in recent years.


An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people are living in the country without valid documents, many of whom risk deportation because they lack formal status, The Global and Mail quoted Miller as saying.

The new program would also include people who entered the country legally, as temporary workers or international students, and then remained here after their visas expired, the report said.

Miller added that not all those without valid documents will be allowed to apply for permanent residency, including those who have arrived recently in the country.


He plans to submit a proposal to cabinet in the spring on allowing undocumented immigrants to "regularize their status," the report added.

Amid the housing crunch and high inflation, the government last month kept immigration targets unchanged for the next two years and said it would stop ramping up immigration from 2026 onwards.

Canada is targeting 465,000 new residents this year, 485,000 in 2024 before hitting 500,000 in 2025 - a level it aims to maintain in 2026.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-create-citizenship-path-undocumented-immigrants-globe-mail-2023-12-14/

 

[Northern Light]

Any public suggestions to the contrary notwithstanding, the Federal Liberals are all-in on their strategy to exasperate the housing crisis and drive down wages:

From Stats Can:

The Daily — Canada's population estimates, third quarter 2023

Canada's population was estimated at 40,528,396 on October 1, 2023, an increase of 430,635 people (+1.1%) from July 1. This was the highest population growth rate in any quarter since the second quarter of 1957 (+1.2%), when Canada's population grew by 198,000 people. At the time, Canada's...

www150.statcan.gc.ca

That's right, we added more people as a percentage of population in the last quarter than most countries do in a year.

Annualized it would read at 4.4% population growth.

Our growth rate, annually in the 2010s was more like 0.7% annually.

*****

Its not just growth though, its the type of growth. Its not economic-class immigrants coming through Canada's much vaunted points-system.

Nope:

This is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Towered]

This is a recipe for disaster.

It already has been for years. One need only glance at the cost of housing (both purchase and rental).

 

[Admiral Beez]

Then fix the issues, you dummy.

Susan Delacourt: Justin Trudeau fears Pierre Poilievre is bringing Trump-style politics to Canada

In a candid and personal interview with his old friend Terry Dimonte, Trudeau talked at length about the angry climate in Canada and the U.S.

www.thestar.com

Here's how you take the gas out of a populist candidate:

1. Address high cost of living
2. Address sense of high crime and lawlessness
3. Directly link immigration to housing stock
4. Reform international student and foreign worker programs
5. Provide emergency housing to all asylum seekers immediately upon arrival.
   • Stop downloading federally-generated costs like these onto cities.
6. Stop fighting with the premiers or stepping into their jurisdictional lanes. Listen and help/collaborate instead.
   • Provide the provinces with no-strings funding for healthcare, housing, transit and infrastructure. Let their experts deem where it's best spent.
   • Work with Alberta on their demands for equalization reforms.
   • Start promoting Canada's leading role in oil/gas and resource extraction. We're the 4th largest oil producer in the world, be proud not ashamed.

 

[evandyk]

I don't care for Poilievre, and haven't for more than a decade (due to stuff like this, or his role in the ill-fated Fair Elections Act), but I think this article says it better. It's a problem afflicting all of them, Poilievre just happens to practice it in a little more odious fashion than the rest of them.

Parliament declined in real time over the fall sitting - Loonie Politics

The continued decline of our Parliament to a deeply unserious clown show accelerated at an alarming rate over the fall sitting.

looniepolitics.com

The absolute decay in what is happening in Parliament was on full display, in large part because nobody is actually worrying about public policy any longer—nearly everything is now just about their comms strategies, and pushing it out over social media. Everything is just performance—substance has almost entirely left the building, and every party shares the blame in this. Canadians cannot afford for our political leaders to be taking their eye off the ball at such a critical juncture in history, and yet all we have to show for this are stupid games that are eroding our institutions. It’s time for all parliamentarians to grow up, before it’s too late.

 

[picard102]

• Provide the provinces with no-strings funding for healthcare, housing, transit and infrastructure. Let their experts deem where it's best spent.

Might as well just send the cheques to the Provincial parties donors directly.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Might as well just send the cheques to the Provincial parties donors directly.

Yes.

 

[Northern Light]

It would be nice for Aldi/Trader Joe's to come to Canada. I expect that the incumbent grocers would have a panic attack and launch their own similar formats to crowd out their entry.

Loblaws already tested such a format the last time Aldi kicked the tires here..............

They tested a variant of No Frills called 'The Box'.

It was it NF compacted to ~10,000ft2, a bit less selection, slightly tighter margins.

A Visit to The Box by No Frills Store in Hamilton - Tea & Nail Polish

A review of my visit to the opening of The Box, a new small format grocery store from No Frills, in Hamilton, Ontario - Tea & Nail Polish

teaandnailpolish.com

The format was shuttered after it was clear Aldi wasn't coming..............

One or two were closed, the others rebannered as straight-up No Frills.

 

[kEiThZ]

It would be nice for Aldi/Trader Joe's to come to Canada. I expect that the incumbent grocers would have a panic attack and launch their own similar formats to crowd out their entry.

Aldi maybe. I feel like we already have a version of Trader Joe's: Farm Boy.

When we lived in California within 15 mins walk of our place, we had a Safeway, a Trader Joe's and a Lucky's. Our usual was Safeway. We bought some bougie items at Trader Joe's. Farm Boy feels a little bit like a knockoff version of Trader Joe's with worse prices and fewer unique products. Lucky's was great too but I'm general my wife found it a bit more expensive than Safeway. Their ready to eat counter was amazing though.

Provide the provinces with no-strings funding for healthcare, housing, transit and infrastructure. Let their experts deem where it's best spent.

Vehemently disagree with this. You are literally arguing that the feds should give up the power of the purse. I wouldn't trust the provinces at all to not just dole out tax cuts or spend on their pet projects. How's Ontario doing with all that no-strings COVID healthcare top up?

Work with Alberta on their demands for equalization reforms.

Disagree with this one too. This is Alberta pretending they're entitled to federal tax revenue. People really need to understand how equalization works and why it exists. And it has zero to do with provincial governments.

 

[kamira51]

Any public suggestions to the contrary notwithstanding, the Federal Liberals are all-in on their strategy to exasperate the housing crisis and drive down wages:

From Stats Can:

The Daily — Canada's population estimates, third quarter 2023

Canada's population was estimated at 40,528,396 on October 1, 2023, an increase of 430,635 people (+1.1%) from July 1. This was the highest population growth rate in any quarter since the second quarter of 1957 (+1.2%), when Canada's population grew by 198,000 people. At the time, Canada's...

www150.statcan.gc.ca

View attachment 528424

That's right, we added more people as a percentage of population in the last quarter than most countries do in a year.

Annualized it would read at 4.4% population growth.

Our growth rate, annually in the 2010s was more like 0.7% annually.

*****

Its not just growth though, its the type of growth. Its not economic-class immigrants coming through Canada's much vaunted points-system.

Nope:

View attachment 528427

This is a recipe for disaster.

It already has been for years. One need only glance at the cost of housing (both purchase and rental).

Man, I'm never gonna own a house.

 

[afransen]

I did think about Farm Boy, but they are a pale imitation of Trader Joes. Trader Joes was actually decent value. I struggle to find that with Farm Boy. I wouldn't go out of my way to shop there, especially since it is not a complete shop.

I did check out one of the Box stores in Hamilton. I think it missed the mark a bit as an Aldi clone.

 

[Northern Light]

Farm Boy feels a little bit like a knockoff version of Trader Joe's with worse prices and fewer unique products.

Agreed, they need to be more creative/novel; and have higher standards for some of their HMR stuff as well (Home meal replacement, industry jargon for the hot / cold counter grab 'n go etc.)

 

[Northern Light]

Vehemently disagree with this. You are literally arguing that the feds should give up the power of the purse. I wouldn't trust the provinces at all to not just dole out tax cuts or spend on their pet projects. How's Ontario doing with all that no-strings COVID healthcare top up?

Can I split the difference on this one?

I think the Feds micro managing narrow specifics, by and large, isn't every useful. But I agree their power of the purse could be leveraged to achieve better outcomes. I'm not convinced it is though, for the most part.

Just to provide an example in health; what I would prefer to see is the feds demand a better outcome or result of one type or another in exchange for their 'extra' money; and then pay-on-delivery of the better outcome.

So, for instance, the Feds don't need to dictate the number of PET Scanners in Ontario or which hospitals they are located at; but could dictate that no one referred for a scan should ever wait more than 28 days.

To hit that target would require both more machines and more funded hours/scans; but let the province work out the details.

But don't pay the province upfront for more scanners or staff training, pay on delivery for hitting the 28 day or less wait time 3 months in a row.

That gives the province every incentive to deliver and in a timely way.

Disagree with this one too. This is Alberta pretending they're entitled to federal tax revenue. People really need to understand how equalization works and why it exists. And it has zero to do with provincial governments.

I agree w/you, but, I do think its important to add that the formula is a bit on the torqued side. I'm not sure there's any 'perfectly clean' formula that would ever make everyone happy, but the current version is a wee bit distorting.

There's a current article on this up at the Globe:

Opinion: Canada’s $25-billion equalization program needs major fixing. No one in Ottawa wants to talk about it

Despite calls for reforms, the Trudeau government has locked in the current equalization formula until 2029

www.theglobeandmail.com